This is taken from his upcoming new record, ‘We Are Who We’ve Always Been’. The album is a stripped down reimagining of his 2016 ninth album ‘Instigator’. It will be released on the 20th October via Procrastinate! Music Traitors and Triple Crown Records. Pre-orders are available here.

photo: Shervin Lainez

The album is a stripped down reimagining of his 2016 ninth album ‘Instigator’. It will be released on the 20th October via Procrastinate! Music Traitors and Triple Crown Records. Pre-orders are available here and you can listen to the first single, a stripped down version of ‘I Was Alive Back Then’ featuring Half Waif, which premiered via Stereogum, below.

photo: Shervin Lainez

Additionally, Devine has raised that he will be somewhat taking a break from touring his own material due to this. You can read his full statement below.

https://www.facebook.com/KevinDevineMusic/photos/a.183067017339.127465.9365212339/10155803284202340/?type=3&theater

Kevin Devine’s latest album is his ninth ‘Instigator’, which was released last year via Procrastinate! Music Traitors, Big Scary Monsters and Triple Crown Records, whilst Brand New released their long awaited fifth album ‘Science Fiction’ last month on Procrastinate! Music Traitors. The latter band will also be playing the following UK/Ireland shows.

NOVEMBER
16 DUBLIN, IRE Olympia Theatre
18 LONDON Brixton O2 Academy
19 GLASGOW O2 Academy

photo: Brandon Sloter

Featuring recorded audio from one of the dates of Devine’s US tour with Pinegrove and Petal last year, the original song can be found on his latest album ‘Instigator’. This was released last year via Procrastinate! Music Traitors (US), Triple Crown Records (US) and Big Scary Monsters (UK/EU).

photo: Shervin Lainez

The song is lifted from his ninth album, ‘Instigator’, which was released last year on Procrastinate! Music Traitors, Triple Crown Records and Big Scary Monsters.

Devine will also be going on a UK solo acoustic tour this July, the dates of which are listed below.

JULY
07 KINGSTON Fighting Cocks
08 CHELTENHAM 2000 Trees Festival
10 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
11 NEWCASTLE Surf Cafe
12 BIRMINGHAM Sunflower Lounge
13 SOUTHAMPTON Joiners

photo: Shervin Lainez

Devine’s released his ninth album, ‘Instigator’, last year on Procrastinate! Music Traitors, Triple Crown Records and Big Scary Monsters.

JULY
07 KINGSTON Fighting Cocks
08 CHELTENHAM 2000 Trees Festival
10 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
11 NEWCASTLE Surf Cafe
12 BIRMINGHAM Sunflower Lounge
13 SOUTHAMPTON Joiners

A lot has happened since then too. In 2007 Devine signed with Capitol Records, and although his one record stint on a major lasted only four months, it laid the foundations for a career that has endured nine studio albums, a whole load of live ones, and countless brilliant, honest songs tackling everything from politics and self reflection, to drugs and broken relationships.

Tonight, as he steps onto the stage for the last night of his Euro tour joined by the compelling, forceful, almost deafeningly loud Goddamn Band – the second, electric incarnation of Devine’s music – all of that seems to come to a head, exploding into one of the greatest, most powerful performances Devine has managed this side of the Atlantic.

Even before the Goddamn Band take the stage, the night is treated to the delicate, acoustic deliverances of Laura Stevenson and Lion & The Wolf, with Devine joining the former for a flawless execution of a Courtney Barnett song towards the end of her set. Both are fittingly well received, although there is some unwanted heckling at one point from someone at the front of the stage by someone worse for wear, and they would later be ejected during Devine’s set.

Offering a typical take of fan favourite ‘Ballgame’, one of his earliest tracks that has seen its socially conscious, self-condemning lyrics aptly grow and develop with their performer, Devine initially takes the stage alone before offering his sincere thanks to everyone in the room “for allowing me to have a career here.”

There’s no let-up though as the band fly into ‘Just Stay’ and ‘She Can See Me’ with precision and volume. There’s clear Nirvana influence in everything about the way the Goddamn Band perform and sound, but it works extremely well. Songs are played to millimetre perfection with mind splitting energy, as if the heavier side of Devine’s catalogue has been locked up inside the amplifiers and is finally allowed to burst out into the venue.

It’s strange and sad how Devine’s some of Devine’s oldest and most political tracks seem more relevant now than ever, and before the band begin a fitting performance of ‘No Time Flat’, a song written way back in 2003 when George Bush was still president of the US, Devine acknowledges how the state of the world makes the need for everyone to come together and unite even greater.

Throughout the bands set it feels like the performer is hitting yet another peak in his efforts as an artist. Sober, mindful, yet somehow even more potent, this version of Kevin Devine’s music manages something his solo one doesn’t; it is forceful, effective and impossible to ignore.

Yet when Devine returns for an encore alone, he manages one of the most effecting performances of the entire evening with a fragile, extremely compelling version of ‘Brothers Blood’. Singing parts of the song without use of a microphone, he simply allows his voice to burst across the stunned audience beautifully.

Finally bringing the evening to an end with a solo version of ‘I Was Alive Back Then’, Devine closes the curtain on yet another memorable, perfectly implemented full band show. And given that his back catalogue remains so full of ideas and observations about the state of a damaged, somber America, there’s never been a time when those songs have needed to be as frantic and furious as they were tonight.

SEAN LITTLEWOOD

The track is taken from his latest album, ‘The Cardiac Hotel’, which was released last year on Xtra Mile Recordings.

The Lion and the Wolf will also be heading out on a UK tour later this week with Kevin Devine and Laura Stevenson.

JANUARY
29 BRISTOL Thekla
30 NOTTINGHAM Bodega
31 MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
FEBRUARY
01 GLASGOW Stereo
02 LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
03 LONDON The Dome

This will take place from the 23rd January to the 4th February at Hackney Down Studios in London, opening daily from 12 to 7pm. It coincides with the label’s 16th birthday. It will feature rare and exclusive records, merch, live screen printing, local beers and acoustic in store performances from the following artists: Modern Baseball, Tall Ships, Kevin Devine, Gnarwolves, Delta Sleep and Beach Slang. Although they won’t be doing their own acoustic in-store, Tiny Moving Parts will also be stopping by at 6pm on the 2nd February making their own brand of cocktails!

For more info on the BSM Popup, as well as the scheduling for the acoustic in store performances, you can go to the BSM website.