Vampire Weekend drummer goes solo, records with Black Keys drummer, planning tour
The press release reads:
Dams of the West – the new solo project from Vampire Weekend drummer Chris Tomson – have shared details on their debut LP, entitled ‘Youngish American,’ out this fall. Listen to first track “Death Wish” now, accompanied by a music video directed by Tomson’s wife, Emily [above].
The Fader spoke with Tomson this morning on the origins of the project. Read the full feature here.
Tomson also conducted a Twitter “Q+A” between himself and his Dams of the West account, sharing more details on the new project. Read the whole thing here: http://bit.ly/2clyFYE
Produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys alongside Roger Moutenot and Tomson himself, ‘Youngish American’ was born after a long run of Vampire Weekend dates, when Tomson found himself at home with an empty calendar for the first time in years. After a few months spent grappling with existential insecurity and writer’s block, the new music began to take form. Recorded in Nashville with Carney at the helm, Tomson wrote every song and plays virtually all instruments on the album.
The 10-song collection offers casually cutting takes on early-30’s ennui and domesticity, exploring the tension between wanting to settle down and the simultaneous hesitancy to leave behind younger roles. The project’s name serves as a nod to this psychological limbo, an ode to the once-useful dams of the west – totemic pieces of infrastructure that threaten to become obsolete as time moves on.
Tomson will launch a full-band tour later this fall, stay tuned for dates.
Staying tuned.
Listen to the first song above.
