Modern Nature have announced a new album, The Heat Warps, which will be out August 29 via Bella Union. Unlike the improvisational nature of the group’s last few releases, this one hews to more traditional song structures and band arrangements, aided partially by the addition of new guitarist Tara Cunningham. “I’ve always been drawn to bands where two guitarists work as a unit to move around and colour the rhythm section,” says frontman Jack Cooper. “I’d been listening to the demos Television did with Brian Eno in the day and then that night I played with Tara for the first time at an improvised music show. We have a very similar approach to the guitar and that extends to the way we sing, so it gives the music an interesting balance.”
Cooper adds, “What we do is mirrored; a symmetry on either side of what Jim [Wallis, drummer] and Jeff [Tobias, bassist] are doing in the rhythm section. We’ve played with lots of amazing musicians who continue to orbit around what we do, but Tara joining the band felt like finding the other side to the square. Previous records have been performed by upwards of fifteen people but it was apparent the four of us could achieve something more powerful and more direct.”
The first single is the instantly appealing “Pharaoh,” which fans of Cooper’s previous band, Ultimate Painting, will surely dig with its chill, jammy groove. “It’s a song about the men we’re conditioned to respect and follow and it’s a song about the people who inspire us to think differently. It’s as much about Pharaoh Sanders as it is about the kings and politicians we’re meant to believe in. ‘Pharaoh’ makes the case for finding a personal philosophy and trying to live a life that might inspire others or at the very least not hurt them.” Watch the video below.
Modern Nature have also announced US tour dates, which happen in March and will be their first here since early 2020. As it stands, they’re only playing West Coast shows, but let’s hope they add more. All dates are listed below.
The Heat Warps:
1. Pharaoh
2. Radio
3. Glance
4. Source
5. Jetty
6. Alpenglow
7. Zoology
8. Takeover
9. Totality
Modern Nature – 2025 Tour Dates
12/10: Arcata, CA @ The Miniplex
12/12: Seattle, WA @ Clock Out Lounge
12/13: Portland, OR @ Holocene
12/14: Point Reyes, CA @ Dance Palace
12/15: San Francisco, CA @ 4 Star Theater
12/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers
12/18: Los Angeles, CA @ Gold Diggers