Have you heard that times are tough? Welp, they are! What you may not have heard is that it’s OK to say that times are tough—that, in fact, saying that times are tough helps to deal with the tough times. There is a kind of power in vulnerability, in carefully (or not-so) mapping out the borders of your abilities and asking for the view from the neighboring territory.
That’s the power that drives Sincerely, which Seattle’s Dude York released back in February. Singer Peter Richards calls out from within a pile of melodies about as tall as a horse, and his guitar—along with Claire England’s bass and Andrew Hall’s drumming—call back, the heavy power-pop sound acting like a particularly rowdy community (with the presumed singalongs forming the fourth leg of this particular table).
“I relied on myself, neglected my own health,” Richards sings in “Black Jack,” whose video we’re premiering today. As he sings, staring dead-eyed into the camera, a world is projected onto his face. Images seem to come from within and without, suggesting both the breadth of the interior world and its limitations—these projections are limited by Richards’s silhouette, after all. It’s a strong statement for a strong song, and you can check it out below, along with a grip of dates with LVL UP and Alex Lahey.
Dude York tour dates
09.21.17 – Portland, OR – The Star Theater *
09.22.17 – Seattle, WA – Barboza *
09.23.17 – Vancouver, BC – Fortune Sound Club *
11.15.17 – Allston, MA – Great Scott #
11.16.17 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg #
11.17.17 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live #
11.19.17 – Washington, DC – DC9 #
11.22.17 – Toronto, CA – Drake Hotel #
11.24.17 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean #
11.25.17 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry #
11.29.17 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada #
11.30.17 – Austin, TX – Barracuda #
12.02.17 – Denver, CO – Lost Lake Lounge #
12.03.17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court #
12.05.27 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge #
12.06.17 – San Diego, CA – Casbah #
* – w/ LVL UP
# – w/ Alex Lahey
Sincerely is out now via Hardly Art.
