{"title":"Will Butler","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the five years since \u003cstrong\u003eWill Butler \u003c\/strong\u003ereleased his debut album, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/will-butler-policy\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, he’s toured the world both solo and as a member of Arcade Fire, released the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/will-butler-friday-night\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eFriday Night \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003elive album, recorded and released Arcade Fire’s international #1 album \u003ci\u003eEverything Now\u003c\/i\u003e, earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard, hosted a series of touring town halls on local issues (police contracts, prison reform, municipal paid sick leave, voting rights), and spent time raising his three children.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe also found the time and inspiration to write and record a new album, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/will-butler-generations\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenerations\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"will-butler-policy","title":"Will Butler - Policy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded on:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.undertheradarmag.com\/lists\/under_the_radars_top_100_albums_of_2015\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnder the Radar's Top Albums of 2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#69)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.stereogum.com\/1847314\/the-50-best-music-videos-of-2015\/franchises\/2015-in-review\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStereogum's Top Music Videos of 2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#24 \"Anna\")\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/will-butler\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Butler\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e’s first release under his own name.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePolicy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e is American music—in the tradition of the Violent Femmes, The Breeders, The Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, The Magnetic Fields, Ghostface Killah. And John Lennon (I know, but it counts). Music where the holy fool runs afoul of the casual world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded in one week in Jimi Hendrix’s old living room (upstairs at Electric Lady Studios). Jeremy Gara played drums; other musicians contributed woodwinds and backing vocals. Most everything else was played by Will.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739186753847,"sku":"MRG540LP","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739186786615,"sku":"MRG540CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739186819383,"sku":"MRG540digital","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/5475494482af4c0966f2a3fe8abd803361d83de5_7cea5919db10c8e14279358db85dcab978334023_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785380919"},{"product_id":"will-butler-friday-night","title":"Will Butler - Friday Night","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/will-butler\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Butler\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e returns with \u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFriday Night\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, an album of live performances from Butler’s tour supporting his debut album, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/will-butler-policy\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e. Recorded mostly at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on June 4, 2015, \u003ci\u003eFriday Night\u003c\/i\u003e includes five brand-new songs, five from \u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e, and two songs he wrote for \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e newspaper last year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCapturing the energy of the dynamite Will Butler band was the major inspiration for this release. Miles Arntzen (EMEFE, Antibalas) played drums (standing up at a full kit—he didn’t use a hi-hat pedal, so he could stand on that leg while working the kick drum with the other), Julie Shore played synth bass, and Sara Dobbs played synth leads and Mellotron pads. Everybody sang backing vocals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWill wrote of the album: \u003ci\u003eThink of this as a comedy record. In some ways literally—Brooklyn comedian Jo Firestone does the introduction and the “solo” in “Friday Night”—but also, it’s an album based on working out ideas in a room full of people, playing off their energy and expectations. It’s about taking complicated emotions and wringing communal joy from them, and then translating that joy onto record. So here you go!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeaturing artwork by \u003ci\u003eBroad City\u003c\/i\u003e’s Abbi Jacobson, \u003ci\u003eFriday Night\u003c\/i\u003e is the perfect companion to \u003ci\u003ePolicy \u003c\/i\u003eand an exciting look ahead to what we can expect from Will Butler. Order \u003ci\u003eFriday Night\u003c\/i\u003e now on CD or LP in the Merge store.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLP includes a coupon for a full download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":52739206807863,"sku":"MRG574LP","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52739206742327,"sku":"MRG574CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739206775095,"sku":"MRG574digital","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/a6e614917f4092955ea908b40d4e77f87cbca6cd_b73f1a82f1c4c6152a55cf38b45955b223e42065_medium_jpg_f020f901-a367-43cf-8cf8-9537e4b44f1a.jpg?v=1789600366"},{"product_id":"will-butler-generations","title":"Will Butler - Generations","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the five years since \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/will-butler\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill Butler\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e released his debut album, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/smarturl.it\/WillButlerPolicy\"\u003e\u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, he’s toured the world both solo and as a member of Arcade Fire, released the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/smarturl.it\/FridayNight_dig\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eFriday Nigh\u003c\/i\u003et\u003c\/a\u003e live album, recorded and released Arcade Fire’s international #1 album \u003ci\u003eEverything Now\u003c\/i\u003e, earned his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard, hosted a series of touring town halls on local issues (police contracts, prison reform, municipal paid sick leave, voting rights), and spent time raising his three children.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“My first record, \u003ci\u003ePolicy\u003c\/i\u003e, was a book of short stories,” Butler says. “\u003ci\u003eGenerations\u003c\/i\u003e is more of a novel—despairing, funny, a little bit epic… A big chunk of this record is asking: What’s my place in American history? What’s my place in America’s present? Both in general—as a participant, as we all are, in the shit that’s going down—but, also extremely particularly: me as Will Butler, rich person, white person, Mormon, Yankee, parent, musician of some sort, I guess. What do I do? What can I do? The record asks that question over and over, even if it’s not much for answers.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eGenerations\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded and produced by Butler in the basement of his home in Brooklyn. Tracking finished in March 2020, as New York closed down for the pandemic. Half the record was mixed in Montreal by longtime Arcade Fire engineer Mark Lawson, the other half by Brooklyn-based producer Shiftee.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Peak Vinyl (Red Splatter)","offer_id":52739237151031,"sku":"MRG720lp-C1","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52739237183799,"sku":"MRG720LP","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996578050359,"sku":"MRG720CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739237249335,"sku":"MRG720digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/640957ebe4f9a0526215c1d3f4f5b13660407e2c_d46f45d41112f3bb17a2044b4bb2a9eb56c8d0e8_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789587616"},{"product_id":"will-butler-dark-night","title":"Will Butler - Dark Night","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color:transparent;color:#000000;\"\u003eThis new composition, written during rehearsals for \u003ci\u003eStereophonic\u003c\/i\u003e’s run in London’s West End, finds Butler channeling the tumult of chaos and talent at the core of the play’s narrative through the London cast of the play. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWill Butler, on “Dark Night”:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe song itself is a dark fairytale about a mother and child on the run—a little bit “Skye Boat Song,” a little bit “When the Levee Breaks.”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI wrote it because I was working with a great band—this cast—and wanted to keep collaborating with them on something new. The title of the song is referenced in the play—as a surprise hit that’s climbing the charts—and it seemed like a fun jumping off point.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe recorded in one day at the legendary RAK studios in London; the track is essentially live off the floor, with a few overdubs done backstage at the Duke of York’s Theater in the West End.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe London cast features Zachary Hart (The Seagull), Lucy Karczewski, Jack Riddiford (Jerusalem), Chris Stack (Interview With the Vampire), Nia Towle (Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Andrew R. Butler (Rags Parkland Sings Songs of the Future), and Eli Gelb (The Mastermind), joined on this recording by Will Butler, Justin Craig, and Jerome van den Berghe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739438051639,"sku":"MRG884digital","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/75724f77efe89398175fcba4055e7cc0a06dde65_67148ba7a0cd3f0dadcd71e8537a6b2395ae4caf_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1785382883"}],"url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/collections\/will-butler.oembed","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}