Bartees Strange has announced his third album, Horror, which will be out February 14 via 4AD. While Bartees has a growing side career as a producer, he worked on this album with Jack Antonoff and Yves & Lawrence Rothman.
“In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too,” says Bartees. “For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close – so I’m less afraid.”
The album includes recent single “Lie 95” and the new single is the expansive, anthemic “Sober,” which has strong ’80s rock vibes. “This song is about falling short in a relationship, over and over and drinking because of it,” he says. “I think this is something a lot of people can probably relate to. Being in love, but not being the best at showing it or feeling successful within it. And being afraid that this is something you’ll always deal with because you never really saw a better example of how love works.” The video was directed by Ricardo Betancourt and was inspired in part by Sly & The Family Stone’s 1974 Soul Train performance.
Bartees Strange has also announced a few 2025 tour dates around the release of the album, including NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on February 19, as well as shows in Los Angeles, DC, and London. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 4 at 10 AM local time.
Before that Bartees will be in NYC for WFUV’s annual Holiday Cheer fundraiser at Brooklyn Paramount on December 11 that also features The Head and The Heart, Margo Price and Infinity Song.
All dates are listed below.
Horror:
Too Much
Hit It Quit It
Sober
Baltimore
Lie 95
Wants, Needs
Lovers
Doomsday Buttercup
17
Loop Defenders
Norf Gun
Backseat Banton
Bartees Strange – 2024/2025 Tour Dates:
Wednesday, Dec 11 – NYC – Brooklyn Paramount (FUV Holiday Cheer)
Thursday, Feb 13 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ Paramount
Saturday, Feb 15 – WASHINGTON, DC @ 9:30 Club
Wednesday, Feb 19 – NEW YORK, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Wednesday, Feb 26 – LONDON, UK @ Oslo Hackney