Palm

Philly-based band Palm unveil a new single/video, “On The Sly,” from their anticipated new album, Nicks and Grazes, out October 14th on Saddle Creek. Following singles, “Feathers” and “Parable Lickers,” “On The Sly” is one of the record’s most pop-forward songs. It came together in patchwork over many hours of aimless playing, resulting in a mesh of all of their respective musical impulses. The vocal melody is infectious and slippery, reminiscent of Brian Eno. “The words turned out a little sadder than intended but when we play this song I smile,” says guitarist/vocalist Eve Alpert. The surreal video, directed by Rich Smith, features the band performing while characters search for the source of a mysterious sound.

On Nicks and Grazes, Palm captures the spontaneous, free energy of their inimitable live shows while integrating elements from the traditionally gridded palette of electronic music.  In order to avoid what the band  refers to as “Palm goes electro,” the musicians spent years educating themselves on the ins and outs of production by learning Ableton while also experimenting with “the percussive, textural, and gestural potential” of their instruments. Palm also worked with a producer for the first time, Matt Anderegg.

While Palm cite Japanese pop music, dub, and footwork as influences on this album’s sonic palette, they found themselves returning time and again to the artists who inspired them to start the group over a decade ago such as Glenn Branca, Captain Beefheart, and Sonic Youth. Returning to the fundamentals gave Palm a strong foundation upon which they could experiment freely. It’s been four years since Palm released their sophomore album, Rock Island, and Nicks and Grazes is Palm’s most ambitious and revelatory album to date.

This fall, Palm will bring their tour across North America, where they’ll be joined by Water From Your Eyes. Their live shows have always been acclaimed, with NPR Music writing “Palm’s inventive art rock is dizzying, unpredictable and, especially in its live incarnation, occasionally transcendent – in the band’s best moments, it makes discordance sound sublime.” Tickets for all dates are on sale now and a full list can be found below.