MOUNTAIN GOATS have dropped just one more track ahead of next week’s new album, Getting Into Knives – and they’ve gone with the acoustic Americana excellence of “Picture Of My Dress”. Have a listen to a touching and understated number below.
It’s reported that the song’s creation happened in plain sight, beginning with a single tweet from “Good Bones” poet Maggie Smith suggesting a simple photo essay involving a woman driving across the country taking pictures of a discarded wedding dress.
Mountain Goats main man John Darnielle came across the tweet and was struck by the imagery; he quickly titled the song and got to work, striking up a friendship with Maggie in the process.
Like the other 12 songs that make up Getting Into Knives, “Picture of My Dress” was carefully filtered through the legendary Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis with the assistance of producer Matt Ross-Spang, who’s worked wit Jason Isbell, Margo Price, and John Prine.
John calls it “a pop-country song that’s still identifiably the Mountain Goats: universally relatable but still a little cracked.”
In support of the release of Getting Into Knives, the band has announced a brace of full line-up streamed concerts, for 9pm Eastern Time on Thursdays October 22nd and 29th. (That’s 1am on the 23rd and 30th, British Summer Time).
The twin gigs, entitled The Jordan Lake Sessions, were captured on film at Manifold Recording in Pittsboro, North Carolina: we’re “two shows, 36 songs across the band’s entire catalog, no repeats”. Tickets for these performances are available now, and purchases will include a rebroadcast of the show for 24 hours. Get your ticket at NoonChorus, here.
For other recent Mountain Goats tasters, check out the music video for “Get Famous” and the lyric video for “As Many Candles as Possible.”
The Mountain Goats’ Get Into Knives will be released on cassette, CD, and double vinyl on October 23rd by Merge; there’s also a limited gold pressing over at the Merge store and salmon-coloured deluxe vinyl at the Mountain Goats store. In addition, the Merge store carries a new enamel badge, which is available à la carte or as part of a bundle that comes with a free embroidered patch – while supplies last.
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