Preoccupations are returning in 2018 with a brand new LP. ‘New Material’ builds a world that is dark and exhilarating, helped by the enlisting of Justin Meldal-Johnson (M83, Wolf Alice) for mixing duties to amplify the band’s singular post-punk grit. Their music has always worked through themes of creation, destruction, and futility. While the darker side may have been well explored, that’s not quite the same as it being fully, intensely lived. This time, it was.

Stream “Espionage”, taken from new LP ‘New Material’ below:

Talking about the album, lead vocalist, songwriter and bassist Matt Flegel says “It’s an ode to depression. To depression and self-sabotage, and looking inward at yourself with extreme hatred.” The writing for New Material gave shape to the sheer tonnage of what Flegel had been carrying. With virtually nothing written or demoed before the band sat down together, the process was more collaborative than before. It was almost architectural – building some things up, tearing others down to the beams, sitting down and writing songs not knowing what they were about. But for Flegel, it led to a reckoning. “Finishing ‘Espionage’ was when I realized. I looked at the rest of the lyrics and realized the magnitude of what was wrong,” says Flegel.

Preoccupations will start their world tour in North America this Spring. The tour will kick off in Toronto on April 14 and take them to NYC, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Portland, and more. Full tour schedule below:

TOUR DATES
4/14/18 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
4/18/18 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
4/19/18 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade *
4/20/18 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (Zone One) ^
4/23/18 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts *
4/24/18 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel *
4/26/18 Columbus, OH @ The A&R Music Bar *
4/27/18 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
4/29/18 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
5/1/18 Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret *
5/3/18 Edmonton, AB @ Starlite *
5/4/18 Calgary, AB @ Palomino *
5/5/18 Calgary, AB @ Palomino
5/9/18 Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
5/11/18 Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
5/12/18 Portland, OR @ Star Theater #
5/14/18 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop #
5/18/18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo #
5/19/18 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar #
5/22/18 Austin, TX @ Barracuda
5/23/18 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
5/24/18 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
6/5/18 London, UK @ London Underground
6/7 Berlin, D @ Musik & Frieden
6/10/18 Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
6/11/18 Paris, France @ Maroquinerie
6/12/18 Ramsgate, UK @ RMH
6/13/18 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
7/3/18 Amsterdam @ Sugarfactory
7/4/18 Hamburg @Molotow

^ w/ Odonis Odonis
* w/ Freak Heat Waves
# w/ Moaning

Tracklisting for ‘New Material’, out March 23rd 2018:
1.Espionage
2.Decompose
3.Disarray
4.Manipulation
5.Antidote
6.Solace
7.Doubt
8.Compliance