Midlake announce new vinyl pressing of The Trials of Van Occupanther

Midlake have announced a new vinyl pressing of their 2006 second album, The Trials of Van Occupanther

Midlake have announced a new vinyl pressing of their 2006 second album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, available Friday, January 17 on the band’s own Midlake Records, which will be available on Midlake’s webstore, the new LP edition – re-mastered by Christopher Colbert (Nathaniel Rateliff, Richard Swift) and lacquer cut by Amy Dragon (Big Thief, Richard Thompson) will feature the 44-minute album’s original layout and labels from the very first pressing. Pre-orders are available now.

“This video was shot on an absolutely beautiful piece of land in Oxfordshire, England while we were on tour in Europe,” says Midlake’s Eric Pulido. “We only had a day to shoot the video, so time was of the essence. We had worked with Dan before with Kingfish Pies, and loved his work on that, but didn’t have the chance to actually be a part of the video like we did with ‘Roscoe.’ It was an enjoyable process for all of us to dress up and ‘act’ together. The last scene where we’re all having a feast was quite nice. It was the end of the day, and although we were tired and hungry, I thought it was a perfect way to celebrate the day’s work. So don’t be fooled by the acting, the jubilation and hunger was pretty genuine.”

Originally released in July 2006, The Trials of Van Occupanther was a milestone for Midlake. This was a record pitched between 1871, 1971, and somewhere out of time – between Henry David Thoreau and Neil Young, between Laurel Canyon thinking and a longing for something more mysterious. Rich reserves of wistful melody, dreamy horns, rolling guitars, and plaintive pianos fuel its elusive, idiosyncratic narratives: a couple long to be robbed by bandits so they can start anew, an outcast scientist ponders his pariah status, a woman chases a frisky deer, a river leads who knows where yet leaves you little choice but to follow…

The Trials of Van Occupanther earned Midlake a passionate fan following – including such famous admirers as Thom Yorke, Beck, Paul Weller, St. Vincent, and many more thanks in part to such timeless favorites as “Young Bride,” “Branches,” and “Roscoe.” The band followed up 2010’s The Courage of Others, 2013’s shape-shifting Antiphon, and 2022’s critically acclaimed fifth album, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods. Now, the special new vinyl pressing of The Trials of Van Occupanther.

MIDLAKE
THE TRIALS OF VAN OCCUPANTHER
(Midlake Records)

SIDE A

Roscoe
Bandits
Head Home
Van Occupanther
Young Bride

SIDE B

Branches
In This Camp
We Gathered in Spring
It Covers the Hillsides
Chasing After Deer
You Never Arrived