Grammy-nominated band Hiss Golden Messenger has announced the release of their highly anticipated new album Jump for Joy on August 25. The group has also announced an extensive fall tour of the US in support of Jump for Joy (see list of dates below). The first single “Nu-Grape” bursts with buoyant verses and a gospel-tinged chorus featuring Aoife O’Donovan and Amy Helm on backing vocals.

Musically, lyrically, and conceptually, Jump for Joy is unlike any previous Hiss Golden Messenger album. For starters, it contains the most optimistic and groove-filled songs that bandleader, singer and songwriter M.C. Taylor has made. The narrative is somewhat autobiographical as he created a character to represent himself through the various experiences he has had through his life in music. 

As Taylor explains through the character,  “I was able to get inside these places that exist so deep in my sense memory: Me at 16, knowing intuitively that there had to be something out there for me, something mysterious and divine that wasn’t full of fucked-up, confusing pain; me with my hardcore band, age 18, wandering the vast expanses of Texas beneath a big, fat tangerine moon, scrounging change to fill the gas tank, trying to make a soundcheck for a show that never happened. There’s me at 30, having kids, writing songs as though they were gravestone epitaphs, not yet understanding that nothing is so permanent and serious and that I needed to be gentler with my spirit. There’s me at 35, still chasing the thing because I’ve touched it once or twice and I know it’s the only way for me to feel whole and real and useful, but in the rear-view mirror, I can see everyone who gave up in search of something easier and not so heartbreaking.”

As the album title suggests, a joyful ambience permeates the record and offers a sense of freedom in the music. Anyone who has experienced a Hiss Golden Messenger live performance since touring opened up following the pandemic will immediately recognize this. Taylor and bandmates Chris Boerner (guitar), Alex Bingham (bass), Nick Falk (drums) and Sam Fribush (keys) have never sounded better. The group has achieved a delicate balance of becoming simultaneously tighter and looser. All of this has been captured on Jump for Joy, which was produced by Taylor.

Stream and share “Nu-Grape” wherever you listen to music, and pre-order Jump for Joy on CD, LP, and translucent orang and black swirl Peak Vinyl from the Merge store. Participating independent record stores across the U.S. will also be giving out copies of A Midsummer Night's Dream: Live at EartH Hackney, a free bonus cassette, available while supplies last. This eclectic live set, recorded in London during the summer of 2022, is being released physically for the very first time. Check with your local record store to see if they'll have copies available.

Hiss Golden Messenger on tour:
Jul 21 Waldoboro, ME – Waldo Theatre (M.C. Taylor Solo)
Jul 22 Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square (M.C. Taylor Solo) [SOLD OUT]
Jul 23 Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square (M.C. Taylor Solo) [SOLD OUT]
Aug 04-08 Kaslo Bay Park, BC – Kaslo Jazz Etc. Fest
Sep 15 Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom
Sep 16 Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom+
Sep 17 Saxapahaw, NC – Haw River Ballroom
Oct 19 Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House*
Oct 20 Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club*
Oct 21 New York, NY – Webster Hall*
Oct 22 Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall*
Oct 25 Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair*
Oct 26 Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair*
Oct 27 Holyoke, MA – Race Street Live*
Oct 28 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz PDB*
Oct 29 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre*
Nov 01 Detroit, MI – El Club*
Nov 02 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom*
Nov 03 Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line*
Nov 04 Chicago, IL – Metro*
Nov 05 Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Indy*
Nov 07 Birmingham, AL – Saturn#
Nov 09 Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl#
Nov 10 Atlanta, GA – Terminal West#
Nov 11 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel#
Nov 28 Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub#
Nov 29 Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub#
Nov 30 Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall#
Dec 01 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room#
Dec 02 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre#
Dec 04 Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room#
Dec 05 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory#
Dec 07 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre^
Dec 08 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre^
Dec 09 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall^
Dec 10 Eugene, OR – W.O.W. Hall^
Dec 11 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s^
Dec 13 Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theatre^
Dec 14 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore^
Dec 15 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour^
Dec 16 Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room^
Dec 30 Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House
Dec 31 Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House
Mar 01–08, 2024 Miami, FL – Cayamo Cruise

+ with special guest William Tyler & The Impossible Truth
* with special guest Sylvie
# with special guest Adeem The Artist
^ with special guest The Lostines