On August 21, the beloved shapeshifting Nashville institution Lambchop returns with their seventeenth album Punching the Clown—preorder today on CD, LP, and limited opaque silver Peak Vinyl from the Merge store. Produced by Ryan Olson (Poliça, Gayngs) with songs by Lambchop’s principal Kurt Wagner and member Andrew Broder, Punching the Clown was tracked over three days at April Base, the studio of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and features Vernon on banjo as well as a six-part choir throughout.

“Weakened,” the first single from Punching the Clown, is out today, notably the only song on the record to include any percussion (castanets). When pressed to comment on the track, Wagner was quoted: “People seem to really like this one!” Listen to ”Weakened" wherever you stream music.

From the desk of Kurt Wagner:

in early 2024 i heard a song on the radio on my way to get some gas.
just a minimal single chord strummed banjo and a small group of voices. 
it seemed perfect in the moment as the moment became perfect in itself. 
i never found out who it was, sounded kinda like early country gospel?
in a time of searching i discovered a type of gospel singing known as lined out singing 
which is said to have begun in the late 1800s in scotland.
it migrated to appalachia and became an obscure root of american gospel, country.…
a spontaneous call and response type of acapella singing led by a clerk with a chorus of singers
revealing the raw beauty and power of the human voice with its unique varieties
its unadorned simplicity gave weight to the words as they were sung.
i wanted to make a record that emulated this kind of music.

Around the release of Punching the Clown, Lambchop have announced stateside shows for the first time since 2022, starting with a monthly residency at Crooners Supper Club in Minneapolis before dates in Chicago and Brooklyn. Follow Lambchop on Instagram for more news from the project.

Lambchop on tour:
Jun 28 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Aug 30 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 27 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 29 Chicago, IL – Maurer Hall @ The Old Town School of Music
Oct 01 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Oct 02 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Nov 18 Viseu, PT – Teatro Viriato
Nov 19 Lisbon, PT – Culturgest
Nov 21 Braga, PT – Theatro Circo
Nov 22 Espinho, PT – Auditório de Espinho
Nov 24 Manchester, UK – New Century Hall
Nov 25 Sheffield, UK – Octagon
Nov 26 Gateshead, UK – Sage 2
Nov 27 London, UK – Union Chapel*
Nov 28 London, UK – Union Chapel*
Dec 01 Dudelange, LU – Opderschmelz
Dec 02 Antwerp, BE – Arenberg
Dec 03 Roeselare, BE – De Spil
Feb 07 Oslo, NO – Konserthus
Feb 09 Trondheim, NO – Byscenen
Feb 11 Copenhagen, DK – DR Koncerthuset
Feb 12 Hamburg, DE – Christianskirche
Feb 13 Berlin, DE – Passionkirche
Feb 14 Erlangen, DE – Markgrafentheater
Feb 16 Vienna, AT – Theater Akzent
Feb 17 Budapest, HU – House Of Music
Feb 19 Glasgow, UK – St Lukes
Feb 20 Galway, IE – St Nicholas’ Church
Feb 21 Dublin, IE – The Helix