The Violent Femmes are back with their first new music in 15 years — and first recordings with new drummer Brian Vigilone — as the band prepares to release a new vinyl EP titled Happy New Year on Record Store Day, a release that’s been preceded by the debut online of the song “Love Love Love Love Love.”
The four-song EP will be released April 18 through participating Record Store Day retailers on 180-gram champagne clear vinyl. Below, you can stream the new track, written by Jake Brebes.
Frontman Gordon Gano tells Rolling Stone: “Happy to have some new recordings for people that have loved our music. Would be honored to have a few new ears hear us for the first time too.”
The new EP is the first new music from the band released Freak Magnet in 2000. It’s also the Femmes’ first recording since Vigilone, formerly of the Dresden Dolls, joined the band to replace founding drummer Victor DeLorenzo, who rejoined the group for its 2013 reunion at Coachella.
The Violent Femmes will tour the U.S. extensively this year on the Barenaked Ladies’ Last Summer on Earth Tour. See dates below, and stream the new song.
Last Summer on Earth Tour: Barenaked Ladies, Violent Femmes and Colin Hay
June 5: The LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH
June 6: Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, Cleveland, OH
June 7: Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre, Toledo, OH
June 8: McGrath Amphitheatre, Cedar Rapids, IA
June 10: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
June 12: Treasure Island Resort & Casino Island Events Center, Red Wing, MN
June 13: BMO Harris Pavilion, Milwaukee, WI
June 14: Stir Cove at Harrah’s Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs, IA
June 16: FirstMeritt Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
June 17: Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN
June 19: PNC Pavilion, Cincinnati, OH
June 20: DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 21: Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. Salamanca, NY
June 23: Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
June 26: Maine State Pier, Portland, ME
June 27: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
June 28: The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
June 29: Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, Boston, MA
July 1: JBL Live at Pier 97, New York, NY
July 2: Mercer County Fairgrounds, West Windsor, NJ
July 3: PNC Waterside Pavilion, Solomons, MD
July 4: The Red Hat Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC
July 8: Uptown Amphitheatre at the Music Factory, Charlotte, NC
July 10: Sunset Cove Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, FL
July 11: St Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL
July 12: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Atlanta, GA
July 13: Woods at Fontanel, Nashville, TN
July 15: Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX
July 17: Venue TBD, Albuquerque, NM
July 18: Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, NV
July 19: Cal Coast Credit Union OAT, San Diego, CA
July 21: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
July 22: Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
July 24: Idaho Botanical Garden, Boise, ID
July 25: Edgefield, Portland, OR
July 26: Marymoor Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Dresden Dolls’ Brian Vigilone replaces Victor DeLorenzo in reunited Violent Femmes
- Reunited Violent Femmes to play New York City’s Central Park in September
- Violent Femmes on Coachella reunion: ‘It will be a monstrous thing of beauty’
- Video: Ceremony covers Violent Femmes’ ‘Kiss Off’ for The A.V. Club
