Emerging independent sextet Dust City Opera, who entwine strands of grunge, gothic country, punk, folk, and rock as the soundtrack to stories steeped in cosmic horror, transformation, and transcendence, has released their new single “The Unkind” alongside the announcement that their sophomore full-length album, Alien Summer, will be released on Friday, March 4th. Ominous guitars toss and turn over an anxious beat on “The Unkind” as frontman and sonic ringmaster Paul Hunton’s vocals contort in fits and flutters on a high register hook. PRESS HERE to listen and PRESS HERE to watch the official music video. “The Unkind” marks the latest release off Alien Summer, following early teases with “An Okay Way To Go,” “It,” “Tile or Linoleum,” and “Stars.” Alien Summer is available now to pre-save on DSPs and pre-order on CD and vinyl - PRESS HERE.
“Musically, we’re a gothic grunge orchestra,” shares Hunton. “For me, opera suggests an epic drama. We’ve applied the grandeur of opera to a rock band. Our new single ‘The Unkind’ paints a picture of trees uprooting themselves over a Halloween dance vibe. It’s a murderous plant race that comes out of hibernation once in a generation for a night of horror. They prey on humanity and go back to sleep. As a whole, Alien Summer is meant to be a harrowing adventure. There’s some exhaustion, but there are also many moments of relief. I hope you feel like you were on this journey with us.”
Dust City Opera – Paul Hunton [vocals, guitar, songwriter], Clara Byom [clarinet, accordion, keys], Travis Rourk [trombone], Chris Livingston [lead guitar], Scott Brewer [bass], and Dave Purcell [drums] – materialized out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, but they might as well have slipped through some intergalactic portal or stowed away on a derelict spacecraft before crashlanding in the desert. After building a cult following and raising tens of thousands of dollars on Kickstarter to launch their next chapter, these six musicians perfect this otherworldly vision on Alien Summer, the follow-up to DCO’s 2019 full-length debut, Heaven. Alongside producer Matthew Tobias and thematic overdubs from GRAL Brothers, Dust City Opera expanded their sound on Alien Summer with cinematic flourishes and a grandiose backdrop befitting of the record’s overarching themes.
To officially celebrate the release of Alien Summer, Dust City Opera will headline the Lobo Theater in Albuquerque on Friday, March 18th with special guests The Directory, Giovanni String Quartet, and MC Rusty Rutherford. Tickets are on sale now; PRESS HERE for more information and to purchase.
Alien Summer Track Listing
The Unkind
Days When
The Fog
Love Of Mine
Angie
Keep Running
Alien Summer
An Okay Way To Go
You’ll Be Okay
It
Tile Or Linoleum
Stars
