Mere weeks into 2020 and Australia’s Cable Ties (that’s Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown) have already claimed the year as their own, beginning with the announcement of their forceful second album Far Enough. The record arrives March 27 on Merge (Poison City in Australia/New Zealand); pre-order today on CD, LP, and translucent amber and black swirl Peak Vinyl in the Merge store, or wherever records are sold.

Alongside today’s album announcement come the first Cable Ties shows in Los Angeles and New York, a two-week run of European tour dates, and the music video for Far Enough’s “Sandcastles,” a track that just premiered on Australia’s triple j radio. Directed and shot on film by Danny Cohen (Courtney Barnett, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Mac DeMarco), the song’s visuals match Cable Ties’ perfectly elemental approach to punk rock. Play it loud:

Far Enough takes terse, urgent riffs and pushes them relentlessly, searching for transcendence through hypnotic repetition and unflagging intensity. You may have heard fiery anthem “Tell Them Where to Go” featured in a recent episode of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, a song that The Guardian described as “an irresistible call to arms.” Throughout the album, righteous anger is peppered with confusion and self-censure. Songs like “Self-Made Man,” “Anger’s Not Enough,” and “Hope” examine the pressure point between activism and fatalism, buoyancy and futility—and ultimately opt for hope.

Follow Cable Ties on Instagram and Facebook, as there will be more exciting news ahead for the trio.

Lastly, for those interested in donating to support Australian bushfire relief efforts, Merge Records and Cable Ties recommend:

Cable Ties on tour:
Jan 18 Melbourne, AU – Fitz Ritz
Feb 14 Yarra Valley, AU – Gaytimes
Feb 15 Darebin, AU – Something Unlimited 2020
Feb 28 Sydney, AU – Vic On The Park
Feb 29 Wollongong, AU – Farmer and the Owl Festival
Mar 12 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
Mar 17–21 Austin, TX – SXSW
Mar 26 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
Apr 03 Glasgow, UK – Glad Cafe
Apr 04 Manchester, UK – The Castle Hotel
Apr 05 Brighton, UK – The Hope & Ruin
Apr 07 London, UK – Old Blue Last
Apr 09 Paris, FR – L’Espace B
Apr 10 Rotterdam, NL – V11
Apr 13 Hamburg, DE – Hafenklang
Apr 14 Berlin, DE – Zukunft