New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Maine holler-folk quartet The
Ghost of Paul Revere will release their new album 'Monarch' on October 27th via Kobalt
Music Recordings. 'Monarch' sees the band stay true to their folksy, harmony-heavy "Avett Brothers with a twist of bluegrass" (The
Boston Globe) sound while exploring darker topics through metaphors of art, New England winters, and entomology. Over its eleven-track narrative, 'Monarch' makes a powerful statement about positive growth: sometimes rip-your-heart-out pain and chilling isolation are necessary in order to achieve metamorphosis.
Written in locations as diverse as Portland, Philadelphia, and the Great Smoky Mountains, The
Ghost of Paul Revere (named after a lingering dream that singer-guitarist Griffin Sherry had in college) knew they wanted to push the sonic envelope with 'Monarch.' Drums, cello, and piano were incorporated into their sound, and for the first time, the band recorded each song's parts separately in order to achieve more intricate and grandiose arrangements. Less-than-obvious inspirations like
Radiohead and
Led Zeppelin became more prominent, as bassist/singer Sean McCarthy explained that the band's recording process "enabled us to get a lot more adventurous with our ideas."
'Monarch' opens with "Little Bird," a lustful foot-stomper complete with an ecstatic finger-pickin' jam. In "Avalanche," the album's weightier themes are introduced as banjo player Max Davis asks, "Where do you bury your past life?" Piano ballad "King's Road" and penultimate "
Welcome Home" delve deeper into themes of insecurity and detachment from home, and a brief detour is taken on Hamburg-era Beatles-esque party anthem "Honey, Please." Lead single "Montreal," is the truest crystallization of the album's ethos. Starting slow, cello weaves in and out of momentum-building drum beats and soft-plucked guitar before the wailing refrain of the chorus: "Are we growing apart or are we growing up?" At the song's end a climactic crescendo of cellos signals that the anxiety of the chorus has been shattered: growing apart, here, is the key to growing up. Listen to it via Relix here.
"If there's one takeaway from 'Monarch,' it's that change is inevitable," says Griffin Sherry. "Lovers, family, friends, instruments, sounds; they all transform with time. The key to thriving and surviving in a challenging world is to embrace those transformations."
The band has had a whirlwind three years since releasing their debut album 'Believe' in 2014. In 2015, they won an emerging artist contest through the Newport Folk Festival that led to their debut at the Festival alongside artists including
James Taylor and Jason Isbell, and the recording of their 'Field Notes Vol. 1' EP. Since then, The
Ghost of Paul Revere has consistently been the best-selling local artist in
Maine and New Hampshire and has shared the stage with artists the likes of The Avett Brothers, The Revivalists, and members of Old Crow Medicine Show.
The
Ghost of Paul Revere will embark on a 29-date tour after playing a string of festivals with Los Lobos, Mavis Staples, and Anders Osborne this fall. See dates below.
Ghost of Paul Revere Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sept. 20 - The Parliament Room at Otus Supply - Ferndale, MI*
Sept. 21 - Founders Brewing Company -Grand Rapids, MI*
Sept. 23 - Kenny's Westside Pub - Peoria, IL
Sept. 24 - MidPoint
Music Festival - Cincinnati, OH
Sept. 26 - Redstone Room at River
Music Experience - Davenport, IA
Sept. 28 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
Sept. 29 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO***
Sept. 30 - Hodi's Half Note - Fort Collins, CO
Oct. 5 - Winston's Beach Club - San Diego, CA**
Oct. 6 - Boulevard
Music - Los Angeles, CA**
Oct. 8 - Humbrews - Arcata, CA
Oct. 11 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR*
Oct. 12 -
Hi-Fi Lounge - Eugene, OR*
Oct. 13 - Columbia City Theater - Seattle, WA*
Oct. 14 - Top Hat - Missoula, MT
Oct. 15 - The Pub Station - Billings, MT
Oct. 17 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Oct. 18 - Reverb Lounge - Omaha, NE
Oct. 19 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI*
Oct. 20 - Schuba's Tavern - Chicago, IL
Oct. 25 - George's Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR
Oct. 26 - Walter's Downtown - Houston, TX
Oct. 27 - The Rustic - Dallas, TX
Oct. 28 - Stubb's Jr. - Austin, TX
Oct. 31 - Eddie's
Attic - Decatur, GA
Nov. 1 -
Private Event - Atlanta, GA
Nov. 2 - Isis
Music Hall - Asheville, NC
Nov. 3 - The Southern Cafe - Charlottesville, VA
Nov. 4 - Concerts in the Studios - Freehold, NJ
*With The Last Revel
**With The John Stickley Trio
***With Dragondeer
