Since the release of his 2012 collaborative LP with St. Vincent Love This Giant, David Byrne, the New York City resident and creative force behind the seminal band Talking Heads has had a noticeably sparse musical output. This silence made the seemingly accidental release of pre-order information for a forthcoming album by Byrne in December on Amazon’s website impossible to go unnoticed and in due course the internet became a hotbed of speculation.
Now the rumours have been put to rest as the former Talking Head shared details of American Utopia, his first solo effort in 14 years in a presentation given on Monday at New York’s New School named “Reasons To Be Cheerful”.
The first single from the album “Everybody’s Coming To My House”, co-written with long-time collaborator Brian Eno with whom Byrne has released two albums previously (1981’s My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts and 2008’s Everything That Happens Will Happen Today) and featuring further contributions from Sampha, Happa Isaiah Barr and TTY was unveiled alongside its respective music video. Furthermore Oneohtrix Point Never, Jam City, Doveman and Jack Peñate have also been confirmed as collaborators featuring on the album.
In an effort to elaborate on the themes of American Utopia and its title, Byrne shared the following open letter:
“Is this meant ironically? Is it a joke? Do I mean this seriously? In what way? Am I referring to the past or the future? Is it personal or political? These songs don’t describe an imaginary or possibly impossible place but rather attempt to depict the world we live in now. Many of us, I suspect, are not satisfied with that world – the world we have made for ourselves. We look around and we ask ourselves – well, does it have to be like this? Is there another way? These songs are about that looking and that asking.
This album is indirectly about those aspirational impulses. Sometimes to describe is to reveal, to see other possibilities. To ask a question is to begin the process of looking for an answer. To be descriptive is also to be prescriptive, in a way. The act of asking is a big step. The songs are sincere – the title is not ironic. The title refers not to a specific utopia, but rather to our longing, frustration, aspirations, fears, and hopes regarding what could be possible, what else is possible. The description, the discontent and the desire – I have a feeling that is what these songs touch on.
America, or to be correct – the United States – was founded as a utopian experiment. One can point out that yes, there were less than noble business interests at play, and this experiment applied only to white males of means, much of which is still true. Clearly there was poison in the well, and much of what was built was built on the backs of slaves, with half the country disenfranchised. There was genocide, exploitation and land grabs. But I’m talking about perception, which is different than reality. The perception was (past tense) that here might be a new way of living, of cooperating with one another, even if the experiment was being played out only by a portion of the population. The rest of the world, for a long time, viewed the American experiment as exciting, noble and something to be emulated – at least in the ways it succeeded. It was viewed as a fresh start, a place where old, ingrained ideas could be jettisoned, and a world of both fairness and opportunity could be established. Though it never did succeed in all its aims, enough of them were realized in its brief history to give hope to many.
Now it seems – in this place, and in others – we are seeing those dreams, those possibilities, being withdrawn. The experiment seems on the verge of complete and utter collapse. So naturally, we now ask ourselves – was it too much to ask? Were we wrong about how humans can be? Can we start over? Is there another way? A different way? Do we have any choice in the matter? This asking is a good sign.
I have no prescriptions or surefire answers, but I sense that I am not the only one looking and asking, wondering and still holding onto some tiny bit of hope, unwilling to succumb entirely to despair or cynicism.
It’s not easy, but music helps. Music is a kind of model – it often tells us or points us toward how we can be.”
Alongside news of the album, Byrne gave details of a choreographed concert that he described as “the most ambitious show I’ve done since the shows that were filmed for Stop Making Sense“. An initial tour schedule has been announced with the promise of further expansion over the coming weeks. Find out if the tour is stopping in your city at davidbyrne.com/shows.
American Utopia releases on March 9th via Todomundo/Nonesuch.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
Artwork by James Cassidy.
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