Grandaddy will release their new album Blu Wav on February 16 via Dangerbird Records. Ahead of the LP’s release they have shared the single “Long as I’m Not the One.” Described as a heartbreak ballad. Jason Lytle shares, “While the lyrics arrived early and remained mostly unchanged, I ended up recording two or three other versions of this song and just couldn’t get it right. Too folky and/or too country was the culprit. Luckily, I hung in there and settled on this rendition. Just enough shine and dirt. Just enough modern and vintage. I’m still confused as to what it is, but that’s pretty normal for me.”

Blu Wav is inspired by the overwhelming beauty of nature to the mundane moments that spark life’s strongest memories. With the album title meant to be a literal mash-up of “bluegrass” and “new wave”, the new collection has a distinct feel, a uniform vibe, and a somewhat unexpected sound. It was conceived as Grandaddy maestro Jason Lytle was driving through the Nevada desert, and Patti Page’s “Tennessee Waltz” came across the classic country station on the radio. He was immediately intrigued by the possibilities of what it might sound like to keep the slow sway and sweet, simple lyrics of the bluegrass waltz while adding layers of dense synthesizers and the electronics of new wave. It incorporates the lo-fi lushness and sometimes-psychedelic orchestration Grandaddy is known for with Lytle’s first foray into true country. Seven of its 13 songs are waltzes, and as Lytle notes, “there’s an inordinate amount of pedal steel.”

Lytle also contributed vocals to a posthumous Sparklehorse album by request of his friend and fellow psychedelic pop auteur Mark Linkous’ family. Grandaddy has released five official LPs, most recently 2017’s Last Place. The group members include Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Tim Dryden, and the late Kevin Garcia, who passed away in 2017.

Grandaddy
Blu Wav
Tracklist
Dangerbird Records

1. Blu Wav
2. Cabin in My Mind
3. Long as I’m Not the One
4. You’re Going to Be Fine and I’m Going to Hell
5. Watercooler
6. Let’s Put this Pinto on the Moon
7. On a Train or Bus
8. Jukebox App
9. Yeehaw Ai in the Year 2025
10. Ducky, Boris and Dart
11. East Yosemite
12. Nothin’ to Lose
13. Blu Wav Buh Bye

Pre-order Blu Wav by Grandaddy HERE