Brooklyn band GIFT have announced their second album, Illuminator, which will be out August 23 via Captured Tracks. “I don’t want to feel sad when I’m listening to music. That’s never been the goal for GIFT,” singer/guitarist TJ Freda says of the album. “It was always meant to be this escapist yet freeing euphoria that anyone could go out and dance to and feel amazing. But I also wanted to talk about some real feelings. There’s this duality between darker lyrics underneath a joyous pop structure.”
The album includes “Wish Me Away,” which was released earlier this year, and the new single is the soaring, joyous “Going in Circles.” “This was the first song I wrote for Illuminator that helped me realize the direction of the album,” says Freda. “We wanted to get people moving with the new album, so we were really inspired by bands like Primal Scream, Oasis and Massive Attack. It’s our psych-rock tribute to U.K. rave culture in the ‘90s.”
Watch the video for “Going in Circles” below.
GIFT will be touring in September, including Northeast shows with Fantasy Of A Broken Heart and a NYC record release show at Bowery Ballroom on September 20 with Catcher and Public Circuit. They’ll also head to Europe with Bodega. All dates are listed below.
GIFT – ILLUMINATOR
1. Wish Me Away
2. Light Runner
3. To The Stars and Back
4. Going In Circles
5. It’s All Too Fast
6. Falling Down
7. Destination Illumination
8. Later
9. Glow
10 Water In My Lungs
11 Milestones
GIFT – 2024 TOUR DATES
June 13 – Permanent Records – Los Angeles, CA (tickets)
June 14 – Genghis Cohen – Los Angeles, CA (tickets)
July 28 – Boston, MA – Nice, A Fest (w. Vundabar, Palehound, Pile and more)
Sept 13 – Troy, NY – No Fun (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 14 – Boston, MA – Rockwell (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 15 – Portland, ME – Oxbow Brewing (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 17 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase (w. Fantasy Of A Broken Heart)
Sept 20 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom (w. Catcher, Public Circuit) *Record Release Show*
Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Milkboy
Sept 22 – Washington, DC – DC9
Sept 25 – Chicago, IL – Scuba’s
Oct 15 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms (w. BODEGA)
Oct 16 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 17 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 18 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK – The Cluny (w. BODEGA)
Oct 19 – Cardiff, UL – Sŵn Fest
Oct 21 – Cambridge, UK – Junction 2 (w. BODEGA)
Oct 22 – Sheffield, UK – Crookes Social Club (w. BODEGA)
Oct 23 – Bristol, UK – Lantern Hall (w. BODEGA)
Oct 24 – London, UK – Earth Hall (w. BODEGA)