British indie-rock duo Ida Mae release their new album 'Thunder Above You' + swaggering new single "American Cars"
NOVEMBER 2023 UK TOUR ON SALE HERE
After exploding back on the scene with their stunning comeback singles “Lost On Your Time”, “My Whispers Are Wildfire”, “Thunder Above You” and “Wild Flying Dove” in recent months, British duo Ida Mae now release their long-awaited new studio album ‘Thunder Above You’, alongside its swaggering focus track “American Cars”.
In their own words, they state, "Thunder Above You' is a deeply important record to us.
"We convinced our closest musical collaborators (Ethan Johns; Drums, Nick Pini; Bass) to join us in Norfolk, explaining that we wanted to build a makeshift studio in the entrance hall of an Arts & Crafts era Mansion House and self-produce our new record in 7 days. Thankfully they agreed to sail with us into these uncharted waters...no one knowing what would happen.
'"Thunder Above You' is the collection of songs we wrote before we became parents. These songs are vignettes, some of the last burning images we have of our lives on the road, driving through deserts and mountains ranges, following in the footsteps of the musical dream we'd had when we were 15 years old.
"They are songs from the perspective of an avaricious lover, from the haze of derealisation and fake news, hymnals, algorithms, trash, they are lost space between cities, spirituals, they are clippings of British folk songs, arguments in prohibition bars, forgotten moments of border ballads, 4am mania, crippling doubt, crying in hotel elevators, what you want to leave behind, they're standing outside 4339 South Lake Park Avenue in the rain, they're messy, improvised echoes in the alleyway, left exactly as they were cut live.
Highlighting one of the record’s most vibrant moments is its new lead single “American Cars”. Dabbling with the raw and rustic side to their blues-rock aesthetic, this new anthem drives home the bold and shimmering appeal the pair have always looked to inject into their more recent material.
Adding about “American Cars”, “'American Cars' is a Bonnie and Clyde rock n' roller. It's about escaping the suburbs and the adrenaline fuelled moments of falling in love for the first time. Against the odds and against good advice. It's the deep inhale and scream, discovering a new world outside of your upbringing.”
To celebrate the release of ‘Thunder Above You’, the duo will also be embarking on an EU and UK tour from November through early December, having already made a string of festival appearances at Summer Sounds Festival, Big Feastival and Greenbelt Festival this summer already.
Tickets for all announced dates are available now, and you can see the full list of live shows below.
EU Tour Dates
1st Nov – 12 Barres, Fribourg, Switzerland
2nd Nov – X-Tra Musikcafe, Zurich, Switzerland
3rd Nov – Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
4th Nov – Sommercasino, Basel, Switzerland
7th Nov – Strom, Munich, Germany
9th Nov – Badehaus, Berlin, Germany
13th Nov – MTC, Cologne, Germany
UK Tour Dates
21st Nov – The Lodge, Manchester
22nd Nov – Stereo, Glasgow
23 Nov – Lending Room, Leeds
28th Nov – Lower Third, London
29th Nov – Hope & Ruin, Brighton
2nd Dec – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
7th Dec – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
8th Dec – The Louisiana, Bristol
ABOUT ‘THUNDER ABOVE YOU’
Let Ida Mae take you on a joyride across the vast American expanse. Be introduced to all manner of eccentric characters along the way – drunken poets, fallen oligarchs, heartbroken country music stars – and revel in the chaos and carnage of a world on the brink. This is the British folk-rock duo’s spectacular third album, ‘Thunder Above You’.
Recorded in just seven days, ‘Thunder Above You’ marks the most significant creative period in Ida Mae’s astounding career to date. It followed months of touring the states with legendary artists including Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams, driving from clubs to arena shows and, all the while, being inspired by the dramatic landscapes that surrounded them.
Ida Mae are husband and wife duo Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean Ward. They met while studying at university, quickly bonding over their mutual passion for music and later forming their first band, Kill It Kid. Penning three critically acclaimed records they spent their early twenties touring extensively across Europe.
As Ida Mae, Turpin and Ward have garnered further acclaim with their bold sound that traverses classic English folk, sprawling Americana and scuzzy, frenetic rock. Moving to Nashville in 2019 led to the release of their debut ‘Chasing Lights’, produced by Ethan Johns (producer of Laura Marling, Kings of Leon, Ray Lamontagne). Praised by national publications including The Independent and Rolling Stone, Ida Mae set out on the road on a tour that would serve as the backdrop for their second album, the self-produced ‘Click Click Domino’. Recorded in the strange isolation of lockdown, the record melded familiar country blues and folk tones with more synthetic sounds. On the swing and grind of the title track, Turpin duels with guitar hero Marcus King; the foot-stompin’ riff is reminiscent of Howlin’ Wolf or Jack White.
‘Thunder Above You’ Tracklist:
1. My Whispers Are Wildfire
2. Into Your River
3. American Cars
4. Doing It For Badness
5. Lost On Your Time
6. To Your Love
7. My Wild Flying Dove
8. Feel The World Turning
9. Landslide
10. Thunder Above You
11. Hold You Like Fading Light
Ida Mae’s most recent album ‘Click Click Domino’ was supported by WONDERLAND, Rolling Stone, The Independent, The Guardian, CLASH, Under The Radar, NME Radio, American Songwriter, Songwriting Magazine and many more upon its release. In the wake of its release, the duo went onto support the likes of Allison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Greta Van Fleet, The Marcus King Band and many more, as well as opening the main stage at the illustrious Newport Folk Festival.
DISCOVER IDA MAE
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