Ought will release Room Inside The World on February 16th via Royal Mountain/Merge The album, their third LP and first for Royal Mountain Records, explores themes that have always concerned the band – identity, connection, survival in a precarious world – but with a bolder, more nuanced sound palette. The band share first single “These 3 Things” and an accompanying video. Ought start their tour on November 3rd in Baltimore, MD.

Of the video, directors Jonny Look (Grizzly Bear, Cloud Nothings, Cass McCombs) and Scottie Cameron say:

“Life can be problematic. Everything takes time and energy. We challenged ourselves to create devices of great convenience using three items. When initially testing the convenience machines without the human variable, we discovered luxury and success. However, it was sterile. The beauty only came with the unpredictable moments brought by the human element. Being human is better than looking for an easy way out.”

Recorded at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn with producer Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Silver Jews), Room Inside The World was approached with newfound patience. Together, Ought constructed a (digital) moodboard to set their intentions: Brian Eno and Stereolab synths, the Mekons’ 1985 album Fear And Whiskey, and Gerhard Richter and Kenneth Anger’s sexy, fluorescent hyperreal all made it into the melting pot. Holed up in their rehearsal building, an industrial rock block (and sock factory) overlooking the Trans-Canada Highway, the band strove for greater detail and specificity than before while remaining true to the collaborative, intuitive writing process that yielded their earlier work. Vibraphone, justly intonated synthesizers, drum machines, and a 70-piece choir suffuse the precise post-punk breakdowns that spangled Ought’s first two albums, giving rise to an emotional complexity that pushes their characteristically taut sound to greater depths.

Ought
Room inside the World
tracklist

1. Into the Sea
2. Disgraced in America
3. Disaffectation
4. These 3 Things
5. Desire
6. Brief Shield
7. Take Everything
8. Pieces Wasted
9. Alice

OUGHT TOUR DATES

Nov 03 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar*
Nov 04 Brooklyn, NY – Silent Barn$
Nov 05 Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall*
Nov 07 Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall*
Nov 08 Pittsburgh, PA – Spirit*
Nov 09 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop*
Nov 10 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar*
Nov 11 Chattanooga, TN – Sluggo’s*
Nov 12 Tallahassee, FL – The Wilbury*
Nov 13 Gainesville, FL – The Wooly*
Nov 14 Miami, FL – Gramps*
Nov 16 Orlando, FL – The Social*
Nov 17 St. Petersburg, FL – Et Cultura Festival*
Nov 18 Charleston, SC – The Royal American*
Nov 19 Richmond, VA – Capital Ale House*
Nov 20 Arden, DE – Arden Gild Hall#
Mar 06 Montreal, QC – Fairmount Theater^
Mar 07 Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
Mar 09 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Mar 10 St Louis, MO – Off Broadway^
Mar 11 Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room^
Mar 17 Mesa, AZ – Underground%
Mar 18 Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room%
Mar 19 Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom%
Mar 20 San Francisco, CA – The Independent%
Mar 22 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios%
Mar 23 Seattle, WA – Chop Suey%
Mar 24 Vancouver, BC – The Cobalt%
Mar 26 Calgary, AB – The Palomino%
Mar 27 Saskatoon, MB – Amigo’s Cantina%
Mar 29 Winnipeg, MB – The Good Will Social Club%
Mar 30 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry%
Mar 31 Madison, WI – High Noon%
Apr 02 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups%
Apr 04 Washington, DC – The Black Cat
Apr 05 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
Apr 06 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Apr 07 Boston, MA – The Sinclair
Apr 20 Bristol, UK – The Exchange
Apr 21 Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club
Apr 22 Glasgow, UK – Stereo
Apr 23 Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds
Apr 24 London, UK – Garage
Apr 26 Paris, FR – Maroquinerie
Apr 27 Nantes, FR – Stereolux
Apr 28 Bordeaux, FR – Iboat
Apr 30 Lausanne, CH – Le Romandie
May 01 Winterthur, CH – Albani
May 02 Brussels, BE – Botanique
May 03 Cologne, DE – Bumann & Sohn
May 04 Berlin, DE – Kantine am Berghain
May 05 Copenhagen, DK – Loppen
May 07 Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso Noord

* w/ Waxahatchee
^ w/ Snail Mail
% w/ Flasher
$ w/ Trace Mountains and Boys Online
# w/ Shame and Grace Vonderkuhn