New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Before embarking on a 26-date tour across North
America this weekend, Nation of Language have just shared the official music video for "Sightseer." The song is a glimmering, cresting centerpiece of their new album Strange Disciple, which is "in no minced words, their greatest document yet," as Paste raved in their sweeping Cover Story. "A living room and nightclub album drunk on technicolor, dancing and candy-coated longing." In the weeks since its release, the Brooklyn trio have headlined the iconic
Rockefeller Plaza, performed on the runway at New York Fashion Week, notched the most-played record on SiriusXMU and KEXP, broke the Top 10 at college radio, debuted on their first four Billboard charts, racked up 3+ million album streams on Spotify alone, and just finished the EU and UK legs of their vigorous fall run, where they sold out a slew of shows in Germany, France and beyond.
Directed by John MacKay, "Sightseer" finds Nation of Language back home in NYC, and marks the third installment in Strange Disciple's cinematic series of music videos. Following the cultish "Sole Obsession" and the timely takedown of outrage-baiting TV news cycles in "Too Much, Enough" - which starred Jimmi Simpson, Reggie Watts,
Kevin Morby, Tomberlin, Adam Green and more - "Sightseer" evokes the album's wondrous, wayfaring themes. While singer and songwriter Ian Devaney walks everywhere from empty fields and industrial lots to the far edges of Manhattan, he "perfectly conveys the inner chaos of infatuation" (NME), "exploring the challenges of the human condition" (CLASH).
"Nation of Language might just be the best live band you've yet to see" (Alternative Press), and on the heels of a spring and summer that saw them headline Brooklyn Steel and LA's Fonda Theatre, draw the largest crowd to their stage at Primavera, and deliver standout performances at festivals like Pitchfork, Outside Lands and more, their fall run is about to take them all across the US. Shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, DC,
Boston and more are already sold-out - find the full list below and tickets now, and preview live renditions of Strange Disciple highlights in a brand new session for KEXP, where the band recently packed the Gathering Space for the station's first public show since the pandemic began: WATCH
Produced by Nick Millhiser (Holy Ghost!, LCD Soundsystem), Strange Disciple has earned praise from Pitchfork, Billboard, VICE, UPROXX, The LA Times and many more:
Praise For Strange Disciple:
"NoL have never released a bad song, and with this record, that streak remains blessedly unbroken" - AV Club
"As timeless as they are revolutionary...Strange Disciple is, in no minced words, their greatest document yet. The result is an immensity that comes alive more and more with every passing chapter, a living room and nightclub album drunk on technicolor, dancing and candy-coated longing" - Paste
"We should all be obsessed with Nation of Language…the trio have honed a sound that is both nostalgic and timeless" - TOP40-CHARTS
"It is the band coming into their own, the arrangements growing more complex and layered...the most cohesive and concise set of songs NOL have put together thus far" - CREEM
"Nation of Language might just be the best live band you've yet to see" - Alternative Press
"Their best album yet...In a music culture fueled by nostalgia-hits, sample cycling, and interpolation, Strange Disciple is revivalism done honestly and done right" - Under The Radar, 8/10
"Cult heroes continue their hot streak...an album that perfectly conveys the inner chaos of infatuation, not just lyrically but with every note the trio plays" - NME, 4/5
"The Brooklyn synth-pop trio expands its signature sound…another achievement in economy, a project that looks to the sound of new wave as a springboard, not a textbook, and lets small touches shine" - Pitchfork
"Devaney nimbly builds nostalgic hooks and loops from such synth-pop and post-punk masters as Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Human League, Flock of Seagulls and
Talking Heads - into brand new songs that are as irresistible as their predecessors" - Billboard
"It's very easy to get Nation of Language's new-wave gems stuck in your head, and their latest offering, Strange Disciple, features these catchy and idiosyncratic melodies in droves" - Consequence
"Part of the band's appeal is their ability to conjure up a feeling or moment in time...a modern sensibility and rule-breaking approach that imbues their sound with the ineffable, contagious quality of live performance" - Document Journal
"The synthesizer arpeggiations, rolling basslines and use of rock instrumentation are still there, but it's all spread out, giving extra room for Nation of Language's strongest asset, Devaney's soaring melodies and voice" - BrooklynVegan
"Thrilling soundscapes that build on their potent evolution...in Strange Disciple they have produced an album exploring the challenges of the human condition" - CLASH, 8/10
"A sparkling reminder of the group's ability to take the atheistic pleasures of the past and mix them with incredible songwriting, musicianship and forward thinking that leaves the majority of their contemporaries lurking in heavily trodden graveyards...their polished and precise brand of contemporary new wave is some of the best out there" - Northern Transmissions, 8/10
Nation of Language Tour Dates:
10/13 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre#
10/14 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop#
10/15 - Chicago, IL - Metro#
10/16 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon#
10/18 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall#
10/19 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall#
10/20 - Kansas City, MO - RecordBar#
10/22 - Denver, CO - Gothic#
10/23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge#
10/25 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent#
10/26 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent# - SOLD OUT
10/28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy Theatre# - SOLD OUT
10/29 - San Diego, CA -
Belly Up Tavern# - SOLD OUT
10/30 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom#
11/2 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn#
11/3 - Fort Worth, TX - Tulips FTX#
11/4 - Houston, TX - White Oak
Music Hall - Upstairs# - SOLD OUT
11/7 - Nashville, TN - Basement East#
11/8 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle#
11/9 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle#
11/10 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer#
11/11 - Washington, DC - The Atlantis# - SOLD OUT
11/18 - Mexico City, MX -
Corona Capital Festival
11/30 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair# - SOLD OUT
12/1 - Montreal, QC - Studio TD#
12/2 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix#
# w/ Miss Grit.
