The Deslondes are set to return with Ways & Means July 8th, 2022 via New West Records. The 14-song set is their first album in five years and follows 2017’s critically acclaimed Hurry Home. Ways & Means was produced by The Deslondes & their longtime collaborator Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes) and was recorded at The Bombshelter in Nashville, TN. The album features Margo Price on the title track, as well as Twain and the multi-instrumentalist Billy Contreras on multiple songs as well. Long combining elements of early Stax, Sun, and Atlantic Records with the influence of a more raw, stripped-down sound gleaned off field recordings from Alan Lomax and the Mississippi Records catalog, the band also incorporate psychedelic flourishes that bring to mind the sonic experimentation of Joe Meek, Lee Hazlewood and the Velvet Underground. Infusing everything from saxophone, flute, and synth to string arrangements and a full drum kit for the first time, the group naturally progresses and evolves in real-time on their third full-length offering.
Lauded as “burgeoning stars” by The New York Times, The Deslondes’ 2014 self-titled debut was a breakout hit praised by NPR as “energized, elegant, and new,” and their follow-up, Hurry Home, earned similar acclaim with Rolling Stone calling it “a gritty, grimy mix of early rock ‘n’ roll and lo-fi R&B.” Following the band’s hiatus in late 2018, members Sam Doores and Riley Downing each released their debut solo albums to critical acclaim. PopMatters called Doores' eponymous debut “...a deeply poetic and haunting collection that draws upon the musicians’ disparate influences” and “Perhaps not since Los Lobos’ Kiko has an artist so effortlessly married avant-garde and everyman sensibilities, arriving at a place where childlike curiosity meets the fruits of patient practice and ambition. Deep knowledge and unbound imagination coexist peacefully, happily, throughout. Of Downing’s Start It Over (2021), Uncut Magazine in the U.K. called it a “dusty triumph” and described his voice “...like Johnny Cash with a hangover,” exclaiming “His brain…is abuzz with sounds and ideas, which makes his solo debut a thrill.”
Today, Holler shared the first sampling of Ways & Means with the album highlight “South Dakota Wild One,” exclaiming, "Stop what you're doing! The Deslondes are back!" and saying "'South Dakota Wild One' is nothing short of magnificent." Downing says, “It’s a nostalgic song about getting into music, traveling, and running into the special people who were around then, but aren’t around now.”
Share “South Dakota Wild One” Here.
The Deslondes have also announced their initial tour dates in support of Ways & Means, launching July 13th in Athens, GA. Please see tour dates, with more to be added soon, below.
“The album title reminds me of being young, getting into the music business, going through everything and coming out of it,” Downing observes. “We’re taking a look right, left, and back at ourselves.” The Deslondes’ John James Tourville adds, “We were letting go of a bunch of old dynamics that left us burnt out. We’re focused on being productive and on the other side.”
The “other side” might just be their brightest yet.
The Deslondes remain Dan Cutler, Sam Doores, Riley Downing, Cameron Snyder, and John James Tourville.
The Deslondes’ Ways & Means will be available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited to 300 “Flambeaux” color vinyl edition will be available via Vinyl Me, Please. A limited to 1,500 “Sun King” color vinyl edition will be available at Independent Retailers and can be pre-ordered NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
The Deslondes Ways & Means Track Listing:
1. Good to Go
2. Five Year Plan
3. Ways & Means
4. South Dakota Wild One
5. Consider Me
6. Howl at the Moon
7. Home Again
8. Wild Eden
9. Standing Still
10. Dunes
11. Tomorrow Morning
12. Bound by Love
13. Sweet Release
14. Hero
The Deslondes On Tour:
July 13 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt
July 14 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
July 16 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic
July 17 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle
July 19 - Baltimore, MD - The Metro Gallery
July 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
July 21 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
July 30 - North Hillsdale, NY - Oldtone Roots Fest
September 24 - Cincinnati, OH - Whispering Beard
September 25 - Seymour, IN - The Greenhouse
September 27- Davenport IA - Racoon Motel
September 28 - Spring Green, WI - Shitty Barn
September 29 - Chicago, IL - The Hideout
September 30 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
October 1 - St Paul MN - Turf Club
October 2 - Des Moines IA - xBk
October 4 - Columbia MO - Rose Music Hall
October 5 - KC, MO - Knuckleheads
October 6 - St Louis, MO - Off Broadway
October 7 - Memphis, TN - Hernando's Hideaway
