“I wanted to make a science fiction R&B meets Vangelis erotica with a zest of folk kind of record,” says Patrick Watson, totally earnest in describing his initial motivation for the upcoming full-length Love Song For Robots. Moving forward, that initial idea served as the germ for the Montreal-based freak folk musician as he dealt with an eventual “bad year,” causing him to integrate slightly more tangible themes (“I started thinking about how emotional reactions were more mechanical than we think”) into the making of the album.
The first taste of that inspirational hodgepodge was the album’s title track, a gentle, mournful piece of psychedelia that set the stage for the newest track, “Places You Will Go,” which premiered yesterday at the Fader. And though the Dr. Seuss reference may seem strangely placed as the song begins, things pick up in a swirl of electric and acoustic guitars to produce a softly crooned landscape that would make the Lorax feel at home.
Watson and his band are also setting out on a tour in a few days. Info on the North American dates below.
Patrick Watson tour dates
April
1 – Wakefield, QC – The Blacksheep Inn
2 – Wakefield, QC – The Blacksheep Inn
14 – Lévis, QC – L’Anglicane
15 – Lévis, QC – L’Anglicane
18 – Shawinigan, QC – MdC Francis-Brisson
19 – Saint-Casimir, QC – Théâtre de la Taverne
May
23 – Toronto, ON – CBC Music Festival †
27 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ‡
28 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg ‡
30 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair ‡
31 – Providence, RI – Colombus Theatre
June
2 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel *
4 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Forever Cemetery *
6 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
* = w/ Villagers
† = w/ Bahamas, Coeur de Pirate
‡ = w/ The Low Anthem
Love Songs For Robots is out May 12 via Domino.
