Tōth has released a new single, “Thoughts Are Like Clouds,” a meditation on spiritual practice delivered with characteristic playfulness and raw honesty. The track, from his previously announced forthcoming album And The Voice Said (February 27th via Egghunt/Northern Spy – Pre-Order Here), features stream-of-consciousness lyrics that balance cynicism with genuine seeking, building to an explosive climax over driving drums and clanking pianos.
The song’s central refrain – “Thoughts are like clouds in the sky of my brain or whatever / The world is not my enemy or whatever” – captures Tōth’s ability to treat profound spiritual concepts with both reverence and humor. On the track, Tōth shares: “I’m pretty sure I was in a recovery meeting and a friend of mine shared with the group in a thick New York accent ‘thoughts are like clouds in the sky of your brain or whatever’ and it tickled me deeply. Also that description came up in one of my daily meditation readings. You need only to witness and let the clouds pass (…or whatever). The thing about spiritual practice and spirituality for me is: It’s deadly serious but it only works if I don’t take it or myself too seriously. I love how disciplined practices like meditation and staying sober help me be the most free and child-like.”
The accompanying video, shot in collaboration with Michael Leviton, matches the song’s visceral energy. On the video, Tōth elaborates: “I flew back from tour – which ended in Phoenix last Sunday and on Monday afternoon I went over to Michael Leviton’s apartment in Brooklyn and we improvised and shot this video in a few hours. I had just watched Lisa Loeb’s one take music video for Stay which led us to shoot this as a series of one takes with the camera movements sort of mapped out for the whole song. And at 6 o’clock I left for choir rehearsal (Brooklyn Choir Project is covering my last single, ‘Easy’)! My favorite parts of this video are when you see the chalk dust in the air in the slow-mo backlit sections. Such a magical accident.”
And The Voice Said represents Tōth’s attempt to reconcile spiritual seeking with self-aware humour. After finding salvation in music and sobriety following early struggles with addiction, Tōth has built a practice that embraces contradiction. The album is both “a prayer to be able to pray, a meditation on why he meditates, a collection of jokes about what he holds sacred,” featuring collaborations with Kimbra and production from Grammy-nominated artist Caroline Rose.
Tōth will continue touring with The Antlers this spring, in addition to a Brooklyn album release show at Public Records on March 18th.
LIVE DATES
Tickets: https://linktr.ee/tothtunes#478140960
3/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records [Tōth Album Release Show]
4/10 – Washinton, DC @ Songbyrd Music House *
4/11 – Millvale, PA @ The Funhouse *
4/12 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *
4/13 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
4/15 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall @ Longboat Hall *
4/16 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz *
4/17 – Bratlleboro, VT @ The Stone Church *
4/18 – Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music *
4/20 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
4/21 – Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s *
4/22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s *
* = w/ The Antlers