Singer/songwriter and guitarist Mary Timony will release her new album, Untame the Tiger, on February 23rd via Merge Records. Today, she has shared lead single/video “Dominoes.” The album marks Timony’s fifth solo album, her first in 15 years. Lead single “Dominoes” is a cynical and funny description of a relationship not working out, and a reminder of the healing power of music. “This song was almost not on the record,” says Timony. “We needed one last song, and I found a demo of it I had forgotten about at the last minute.” Mixed by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev), “Dominoes” features album contributors David Christian (Karen O, Hospitality) on drums and album co-producer Dennis Kane on bass.

Mary Timony, most recently as vocalist and guitarist of acclaimed garage-pop power trio Ex Hex (Merge) but also as a member of seminal post-punk band Autoclave (Dischord), celebrated leader of the deeply influential Helium (Matador), multifaceted solo artist (Matador, Lookout!, Kill Rock Stars), and a co-founder of supergroup Wild Flag (Merge). Described by Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein as “Mary Shelley with a guitar” and dubbed “a trailblazer and an innovator” by [Mary’s former guitar student] Lindsey Jordan AKA Snail Mail, Timony has distinguished herself as one of her generation’s most influential guitarists and songwriters.

Untame the Tiger emerged after the dissolution of a long-term relationship, and was bookended by the deaths of Timony’s father and mother. The album was recorded during a two-year period during which she was the primary caregiver for her ailing parents. “This was the hardest thing I’ve been through. Every week I had to manage a new crisis.” The tectonic psychic shift Mary experienced informs many of her lyrics on the album. “I started realizing that I gotta control the things that I can,” says Timony, who would write songs while going on mind-clearing walks and bike rides around her native Washington, DC. “Because I was making impossible decisions on behalf of my parents, creative choices now seemed more manageable. Since I had to confront the reality of loss, I realized what was important to me about being alive, and I became less scared. The record became my anchor in a time when I was losing so much around me. It felt like all I had—a guide that helped me through, and gave me hope.”

Untame the Tiger was produced by Mary Timony, Joe Wong (composer on Master of None, Russian Doll, The Midnight Gospel, Krapopolis, host of The Trap Set podcast), and Dennis Kane. The album was recorded over the course of two years at Studio 606, Magpie Cage, 38North, and in Mary’s basement. Additional engineering by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines). Musicians include Chad Molter (Faraquet, Medications), David Christian, and Brian Betancourt (Cass McCombs, Devendra Banhart, Hospitality). The album was mixed by Dave Fridmann, Dennis Kane, and John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee).

Mary Timony
Untame the Tiger
tracklist
Merge Records

1. No Thirds
2. Summer
3. Dominoes
4. Looking for the Sun
5. The Guest
6. Don’t Disappear
7. The Dream
8. Untame the Tiger
9. Not the Only One

Mary Timony 2024 Tour Dates:

Wed. Feb. 28 – Baltimore MD @ Ottobar *
Thu. Feb. 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
Fri. Mar. 1 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
Sat. Mar. 2 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom *
Sun. Mar. 3 – Amherst, MA @ The Drake ^
Tue. Mar. 5 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern ^
Wed. Mar. 6 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle ^
Fri. Mar. 8 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade ^
Sat. Mar. 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry ^
Mon. Mar. 11 – Kalamazoo, MI @ Bell’s Eccentric Cafe ^
Wed. Mar. 13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Warhol Entrance Space ^
Thu. Mar. 14 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
Sat. Mar. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Clock-Out Lounge %
Sun. Mar. 24 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
Tue. Mar. 26 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop %
Wed. Mar. 27 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Atrium %
Thu. Mar. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room %
Fri. Mar. 29 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah %
Sat. Mar. 30 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %

* w/ Birthday Girl DC
^ w/ Youbet
% w/ Rosal

Pre-order Untame the Tiger by Mary Timony HERE