Brendan Benson announces new album & tour, shares “Good to Be Alive”
by Bill Pearis
He might be better known as co-leader of The Raconteurs these days, but Brendan Benson has been putting out his own offbeat pop records since the mid-’90s and has just announced Dear Life, his seventh solo album, which will be out April 24 via Third Man. He made the record almost entirely by himself at his own Readymade Studio in Nashville and the first single is “Good to Be Alive,” which flits between ’70s singer-songwriter verses and synthpop-y choruses. “’Good To Be Alive’ is kind of weird, to be honest,” Benson says, “But that’s what I’m most excited about. It says a lot about this record, it’s almost got a split personality or something. It’s totally bizarre – I still sit back and listen to it, thinking, that’s so cool! It’s like somebody else played it, it’s not the same old me.” Watch the video below.
Brendan will tour this spring in support of the record, hitting DC, Boston, NYC, Philly, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, St. Paul, Portland and Seattle with more dates still to be announced. The NYC show happens April 29 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and tickets will be on sale soon. All dates are listed below.
Dear Life tracklist:
I Can If You Want Me To
Good To Be Alive
Half A Boy (And Half A Man)
Richest Man Alive
Dear Life
Baby’s Eyes
Freak Out
Evil Eyes
I’m In Love
I Quit
Who’s Gonna Love You
BRENDAN BENSON – 2020 TOUR DATES
APRIL 26 – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
APRIL 28 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
APRIL 29 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
APRIL 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
MAY 4 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
MAY 5 – Detroit, MI – The Loving Touch
MAY 6 – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle
MAY 7 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
MAY 14 – Portland, OR – Holocene
MAY 15 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern