Fred Thomas
photo by Miles Larson

Fred Thomas shares song off 'Aftering,' touring w/ Anna Burch & Common Holly

Saturday Looks Good To Me frontman turned prolific solo artist Fred Thomas is set to release Aftering on September 14 via Polyvinyl, the conclusion of an “unofficial trilogy” that began with 2015’s All Are Saved and continued with 2017’s Changer. All three albums were co-produced with Drew Vandenberg, and all three feature conversational, stream-of-consciousness lyrics from Fred (not unlike Benji-era Sun Kil Moon). The album features members of Common Holly, Wolf Eyes, Bonny Doon, Deadbeat Beat, and more, and members of the latter three are on Fred’s new single “House Show, Late December.” This one’s very much in that aforementioned stream-of-consciousness mode, with Fred nearing spoken word territory over an atmospheric backdrop in a way that sounds a little like Slint. It follows lead single “Good Times Are Gone Again,” which is punchy, driving indie rock and more of a “pop” song. Both are very different but great in their own ways, and you can hear both below.

Fred also announced a tour with Common Holly, which also includes his Polyvinyl labelmate Anna Burch on all dates. That appealing triple bill hits Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right on October 20 (tickets). Fred also plays Detroit with Tim Kinsella’s band Joan of Arc (who play NYC tonight, 8/9) next week, and he has a few shows with Mike Kinsella’s Owen project later this year. All dates are listed below.

Earlier this year, Anna Burch released her debut album Quit the Curse, and last year, Common Holly gave a wider release to her debut album Playing House. You can stream both of those albums below too.

Fred Thomas — 2018 Tour Dates
08/16 – Detroit, MI @ El Club $
09/16 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk – Indoor #
09/17 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall – Upstairs #
10/10 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR +
10/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl +
10/13 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle +
10/14 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings +
10/16 – Norfolk, VA @ Charlie’s Cafe +
10/17 – Washington DC @ Songbyrd +
10/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle +
10/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right +
10/21 – Portsmouth, NH @ Book & Bar +
10/23 – Montreal, QC @ Vitrola +
10/24 – Toronto, ON @ Baby G +
10/25 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig +
10/26 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle +
11/30 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
12/01 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #

$ w/ Joan of Arc
# w/ Owen
+ w/ Anna Burch & Common Holly