David Bazan announced Santa Cruz, the third Pedro The Lion reunion album and seventh PTL album overall, due June 7 via Polyvinyl (pre-order). It’s part of the same planned five-album arc that began with 2019’s Phoenix and 2022’s Havasu; each album is named after a different place Bazan’s lived, and the stories are based on various points in his life. This one takes place from around the time he turned 13 to around the time he turned 21, the year the first Pedro the Lion EP was released. First single “Modesto” was written about a six-month stay in Modest, California, where he wrote the first Pedro the Lion songs and made the decision to move to Seattle and pursue music.
“Of all the tunes on these records, I can’t think of another tune where I was really expressing my own agency,” Bazan says. “It was the first time where I really had a choice of what I wanted to do. It became really clear in those 6 months when I lived in Modesto that I didn’t want to work any other job – I wanted to try and make music. This song definitely feels like the launch pad for what became the life that I chose.” Listen and watch the Cody Cloud-directed video below.
Pedro The Lion have also announced a headlining spring/summer tour, with support from Flock of Dimes (Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner), Squirrel Flower (solo), and Danielle Durack, varying by date. Tickets go on sale Friday (4/5) at 10 AM local with presales beforehand.
The run with Flock of Dimes includes a Brooklyn show on July 1 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. All dates are listed below.
Tracklist
1. It’ll All Work Out
2. Santa Cruz
3. Little Help
4. Tall Pines
5. Don’t Cry Now
6. Remembering
7. Teacher’s Pet
8. Parting
9. Modesto
10. Spend Time
11. Only Yesterday
Pedro The Lion — 2024 Tour Dates
06/16 – Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective +
06/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge +
06/19 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater +
06/22 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club +
06/23 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon +
06/24 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall +
06/25 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi +
06/27 – Detroit, MI @ El Club +
06/28 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall +
06/30 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom +
07/01 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
07/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry #
07/03 – Washington, DC @ The Atlantis #
07/06 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room #
07/07 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle #
07/08 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East #
07/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #
07/11 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn #
07/13 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips #
07/14 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk #
07/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom %
07/18 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box %
07/19 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %
07/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room %
07/22 – Felton, CA @ Felton Music Hall %
07/23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel %
07/25 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom %
07/26 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos %
+ w/ Squirrel Flower (solo)
# w/ Flock of Dimes
% w/ Danielle Durack