New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Natalie Merchant was on NPR's World Cafe to talk with host Kallao about her new album, Keep Your Courage, and give intimate performances of four songs from it: "Come On, Aphrodite," "Narcissus," "Big Girls," and "Tower of Babel." "It's a beautiful record that revolves around love in its many forms," says Kallao. "She calls it like she sees it, and that's a guest you feel lucky to speak with. And I think you'll dig hearing it." You can do that here:
Keep Your Courage is
Natalie Merchant's tenth solo studio album and the first of new material since her 2014 self-titled record. An eclectic album, produced by Merchant, it features lush orchestrations throughout, two duets sung with vocalist Abena Koomson-Davis of Resistance Revival Chorus, contributions from the Celtic folk group Lúnasa and Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, and horn arrangements by jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are nine original songs by Merchant and an interpretation of a song by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum. The vinyl LP edition includes four bonus tracks from earlier albums, previously unreleased on vinyl. You can pick up a copy and hear it here.
Merchant resumes her Keep Your Courage tour with shows in St. Louis and Newark next week. See below for details and tickets.
NATALIE MERCHANT ON TOUR
Jun 22 Stifle Theatre* St. Louis, MO
Jun 25 NJPAC* Newark, NJ
Jun 28 Veterans Memorial Auditorium* Providence, RI
Jun 30, Jul 1 The Kennedy Center* Washington, DC
Jul 8 Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater* Chautauqua, NY
Sep 20 Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox Spokane, WA
Sep 22 Chateau Ste Michelle Amphitheatre Woodinvale, WA
Sep 23 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
Sep 26 The Masonic San Francisco, CA
Sep 27 Mountain Winery Amphitheater Saratoga, CA
Sep 29 Humphrey's (Sold Out) San Diego, CA
Sep 30 Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles, CA
Nov 2 London Palladium London, UK
Nov 3 London Palladium London, UK
Nov 5 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, UK
Nov 6 O2 Apollo Manchester Manchester, UK
Nov 8 Olympia (Sold Out) Dublin, IRELAND
Nov 9 Olympia Dublin, IRELAND
Nov 11 The Forum Bath, UK
Nov 13 Carré Theatre (Sold Out) Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Nov 14 Cirque Royal Brussels, BELGIUM
* w/symphony orchestra.
