New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Hurray for the Riff Raff has shared their first new single and music video of 2025, along with the announcement of dozens of US tour dates for spring and summer.
Arriving just before the one-year anniversary of bandleader Alynda Segarra's memoiristic opus The Past Is Still Alive—which appeared on numerous outlets' Best of 2024 lists, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, Slate, NPR Music, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Top40-Charts, OUT, PAPER, Garden & Gun, Bitter Southerner, Paste, Stereogum, Mojo, Uncut, and more—"Pyramid Scheme" embodies that record's spirit of resilience and rebellion.
Filled with poetic prowess and personal truths, the song conveys a contempt for the dark side of the Internet and the alienating, undermining effects it has on artists and outsiders. "And you can paint your portal on the wall with the intention to break through," sings Alynda Segarra (they/them).
"But every time you bang your head against it, tiny little pieces fall out of you." You can hear the song here and watch the video, animated by Jayla Kai Smith, below:
Lyrical nods to Billy the Kid, Calamity Jane, Darby Crash, and Frida Kahlo (in a black ski mask) are wrapped in melodies and arrangements that are equal parts scrappy and saccharine, backed by Phil Cook on organ, Yan Westerlund on drums, Hand Habits' Meg Duffy on electric guitar, and The Past Is Still Alive producer Brad Cook on bass.
This spring and summer, Hurray for the Riff Raff headlines sixteen newly added US tour dates, including numerous shows across the West Coast, East Coast, and Midwest. The shows feature support from Merce Lemon, and will follow an extensive run with Bright Eyes that begins next week, in addition to dates with Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, festivals, and more.
Pre-sales for Hurray for the Riff Raff's newly added 2025 tour dates begin today at 11am local time (password: pyramidscheme), followed by the public on-sale at 10am local time tomorrow, February 21.
Hurray for the Riff Raff began 2025 with performances on Season 50 of PBS' Austin City Limits and, most recently, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In an exhilarating three and a half minutes, Alynda Segarra tore through a saxophone-studded rendition of "Snake Plant (The Past Is Still Alive)," declared "there's a war on the people," and told their life story of leaving home, losing loved ones, hopping trains, shoplifting for food, lighting campfires on superfund sites, and playing music with a barrel of freaks.
Hurray for the Riff Raff's Alynda Segarra is also serving as a judge for NPR Music's 2025 Tiny Desk Contest, and is publishing new writing, notes from the road, current obsessions, cover songs, demo recordings, direct reflections, and other real, honest musings every week on Resist Psychic Death. Subscribe to the publication via Substack.
HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF ON TOUR:
Feb 26 George's Majestic Lounge* Fayetteville, AR
Feb 27 ACL Live at The Moody Theater* Austin, TX
Feb 28 The Factory in Deep Ellum* Dallas, TX
Mar 1 The Aztec Theatre* San Antonio, TX
Mar 2 Chelsea's Live* Baton Rouge, LA
Mar 3 Florida Theatre* Jacksonville, FL
Mar 5 Jannus Live* St. Petersburg, FL
Mar 7 The Beacham* Orlando, FL
Mar 8 Tabernacle* Atlanta, GA
Mar 9 The Mill & Mine* Knoxville, TN
Mar 12&13 The Orange Peel* Asheville, NC
Mar 14 The Caverns* Pelham, TN
Mar 15 40 Watt* Athens, GA
Mar 17 Minglewood Hall* Memphis, TN
Mar 18 The Hall* Little Rock, AR
Mar 20 Cain's Ballroom* Tulsa, OK
Mar 21 Uptown Theater* Kansas City, MO
Mar 22 The Pageant* St. Louis, MO
May 1-4 New Orleans Jazz Festival New Orleans, LA
May 14 Rio Theatre** Santa Cruz, CA
May 16 The Chapel** San Francisco, CA
May 17 Sebastiani Theater** Sonoma, CA
May 20 Mission Theater** Portland, OR
May 21 Mission Theater** Portland, OR
May 23 The Crocodile** Seattle, WA
May 28 Ventura Music Hall** Ventura, CA
May 30 Troubadour** Los Angeles, CA
May 31 Pappy & Harriets** Pioneertown, CA
Jun 1 Crescent Ballroom** Phoenix, AZ
Jun 20-22 Red Wing Roots Festival Mount Solon, VA
Jun 21 Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards*** Lafayette, NY
Jun 22 Levon Helm Studios Woodstock, NY
Jun 24 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
Jun 28 Blue Ox Music Festival Eau Claire, WI
Jul 15 Slowdown Omaha, NE
Jul 23 White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ
Jul 24 Elkton Music Hall Elkton, MD
Jul 25 Space Hamden, CT
* w/ Bright Eyes
** w/ Merce Lemon
*** w/ Waxahatchee & MJ Lenderman
