As well as being David Grubbs first Drag City release in over a decade, Whistle from Above, out February 28th, comes with a number of firsts. It is his first-ever instrumental album for the label and his lead single, The Snake on Its Tail, is accompanied by his very first music video.
The wintry video was created by renowned multimedia art duo Jennifer and Kevin McCoy (who also did the album artwork below). Drag City share:
The video’s chilly landscapes match the brooding, lone filament of David’s guitar tone; he uncoils with hypnotic deep focus on “The Snake on Its Tail”, building tension in layers of repetition augmented by Andrea Belfi’s rumbling drumrolls. Then, as multiple planes of guitar and drums lift and blister into overdrive, Nate Wooley’s trumpet casts abiding rays over the tumult before itself splintering in the final action.
For the new album, Grubbs sought out “some of the musicians whom I adore most on the planet”: Experimental harp player Rhodri Davies, percussionist/electronics maestro Andrea Belfi, Nikos Veliotis, Nate Wooley and Cleek Schrey, all whose stunning contributions flesh out Grubbs’ innate, deeply personal brand of minimalism.
David Grubbs 2024/25 Performances
Dec 7th @ Morphine Raum – Berlin, DE
*trio performance with Jan St. Werner and Jules Reidy
Dec 8th @ Morphine Raum – Berlin, DE
*trio performance with Jan St. Werner and Jules Reidy
Jan 23rd @ Rhizome – Washington DC, USA
*w/Susan Alcorn and The Caribbean
Jan 24th @ Baltimore Design Distiller – Baltimore, MD, USA
*w/Susan Alcorn and The Caribbean
Jan 25th @ The P.I.T. – Brooklyn, NY, USA
*w/The Caribbean
Mar 25th @Cafe OTO – London, UK
*w/Brunhild Ferrari and Luke Fowler
Mar 27th – 30th @ Big Ears Festival – Knoxville, TN, USA
Whistle from Above, out February 28th
Pre-Order Whistle From Above: https://lnk.to/whistlefromabove