New Studio Album Detour De Force Out Today
STREAM / PURCHASE HERE
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR NEW SINGLE “GOOD LIFE” HERE
[Download album artwork here]
“Colorful”
Rolling Stone
“Crisp with the production of the city studio and enlightened with the serenity of the lake cabin...also classically BNL, playful in its structure and crowd-ready hooks while thematically addressing the human condition with acuity.”
Consequence of Sound
“Known for their lighthearted, sometimes improvised lyrics and eclectic, evolving sound, the group manages to retain this distinct style on the newest album while staying just serious enough and relevant to the times.”
RIFF Magazine
(July 16, 2021 - Toronto, ON) Today, multi-platinum band Barenaked Ladies release their 16th studio album Detour de Force. The eagerly awaited album was produced by JUNO and Grammy award winner Eric Ratz and Mark Howard, and features 14 newly minted tracks including the hopeful and infectious new single “Good Life”. Detour de Force is available on CD and digital formats, along with a limited edition blue double vinyl featuring a bonus track. Stream / purchase Detour de Force HERE. Due to manufacturing and shipping delays related to COVID-19, the in-store date for vinyl for the US has been delayed until August 20th.
The music video for “Good Life” also premieres today. Directed by Edward Pond, the video features the band playfully navigating their beloved hometown of Toronto. “This song is the story of the band and how I feel about the band,” says Ed Robertson. “I’m not living the dream, I’m re-living the dream. I lived the dream twenty years ago; the real dream is that I’m still doing this.” Watch the official video for “Good Life” HERE.
Ed Robertson will be featured on an episode of STROMBO today at 5:00pm ET on Apple Music and the band will be participating in the Twitter Listening Party hosted by Tim Burgess on Monday, July 19th at 2:00pm ET.
Detour de Force is BNL’s most broad-reaching and diverse album to date -- fusing the distinct writing voices of Robertson, Hearn and Creeggan into a cohesive work. "Our band is very diverse in what we do," says Robertson, "and on this record I really enjoyed the exploration. This record is a journey. Taking off one song would tip it in a way we didn't feel was representative of the record we made. We wanted everything that's here to be part of the record."
Adds Tyler Stewart, "This is some of our strongest material in 30 years, easily. I think it stands up there with our best albums. It hangs with ‘Gordon,’ or it hangs with ‘Maroon.’”
BNL wasn't dormant as the world shut down but the pause brought a fresh perspective to where the band wanted Detour de Force to go. "The pandemic really affected the album in an interesting way," recalls Jim Creeggan, who penned a pair of the Detour de Force songs. "I was getting calls from friends to do remote-based stuff, people asking each other to add something to those projects. So we started reaching out and bringing other things into what we were doing."
"We took several detours de force," acknowledges Kevin Hearn, "but I think what you get is a beautiful hybrid of a live off-the-floor band, all the way to full-on production numbers.' It's kind of reminiscent of ‘Stunt’.”
"There was a lot that was amazing about recording at the cottage," recalls Robertson, who wrote songs on his own and with friends Kevin Griffin, Craig Wiseman, Danny Michel and Donovan Woods. "The focus was great. The vibe was great. The hang was great. It was super positive for the band dynamic." “It’s a surreal experience to write with someone whose songs you’ve known and admired for what feels like your whole life,” says Donovan Woods about writing with Robertson. “(Ed) and I sat for hours talking about ideas. We ended up with two songs I love so much (“Man Made Lake” and “God Forbid”) that I had to record them, too. Hearing BNL’s versions was another surreal moment. It’s an honor to have a small credit in such an amazing catalogue.”
Detour de Force Tracklist
01. Flip
02. Good Life
03. New Disaster
04. Big Back Yard
05. Live Well
06. Flat Earth
07. Here Together
08. Roll Out
09. Bylaw
10. God Forbid
11. Paul Chambers
12. The National Park
13. Man Made Lake
14. Internal Dynamo
15. Way Of The Heart (Vinyl-only exclusive bonus track)
Click here for the full Detour de Force Bio.
Coming up, Barenaked Ladies are getting back to work, with a run of one-off shows, starting with their first show in seventeen months next weekend on July 24th at the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Whitehall Station, New Jersey. BNL will tour the UK in March and will bring the Last Summer on Earth tour to North America in June of 2022. Dates listed below.
Barenaked Ladies are also proud to announce a commitment to REVERB’s Music Climate Revolution. Joining other touring artists, music industry leaders, and fans, they are making an ongoing and increasing commitment to reduce their carbon footprint, support carbon-fighting projects, and use their voice to demand climate action. Barenaked Ladies have long been an active participant in the environmental movement in music, as the first artist to work with REVERB, in 2004. More at musicclimaterevolution.org.
Over the course of 33 years, the beloved quartet has sold 15 million records worldwide and built up an arsenal of hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000", "One Week", "Pinch Me" and "The Big Bang Theory Theme." Widely acknowledged as one of the best live acts on the planet, BNL has hosted a cruise, had its own ice cream flavor, amassed eight JUNO Awards, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2018. As Ed Robertson, Jim Creeggan, Tyler Stewart and Kevin Hearn put it on ‘Good Life,’ "Wasn't easy but it turned out alright/Wouldn't trade it for another...You don't wanna miss this mutha."
For more information on all things Barenaked Ladies, visit their website and stay connected via social media.
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2022 TOUR DATES:
Fri, Jun-03 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Sat, Jun-04 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Sun, Jun-05 - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue, Jun-07 - Irving, TX - Toyota Music Factory
Thu, Jun-09 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Federal Theatre
Fri, Jun-10 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
Sat, Jun-11 - Paso Robles, CA - Vino Robles
Thu, Jun-16 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Park Amphitheatre
Fri, Jun-17 - Troutdale, OR - Edgefield
Sat, Jun-18 - Airway Heights, WA - Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Tue, Jun-21 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks
Fri, Jun-24 - Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove @ Harrah's Council Bluff's
Sat, Jun-25 – Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake Casino
Mon, Jun-27 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
Wed, Jun-29 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theater
Fri, Jul-01 - Indianapolis, IN - Lawn at White River State Park
Sat, Jul-02 - Cleveland, OH - Jacob's Pavilion at Nautica
Sun, Jul-03 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
Tue, Jul-05 - Lewiston, NY - Artpark - Summer Series
Wed, Jul-06 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage
Fri, Jul-08 - Gilford, NH - Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion
Sat, Jul-09 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
Sun, Jul-10 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion
Tue, Jul-12 - Philadelphia, PA - The Met
Wed, Jul-13 - Baltimore, MD - MECU Pavilion
Fri, Jul-15 - Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum
Sat, Jul-16 - Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheatre
Sun, Jul-17 - Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap
Wed, Jul-20 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Amphitheatre
Thu, Jul-21 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
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