With his vivid poetic narratives and warm orchestration, Sea Wolf’s music has always carried with it an aura of intimacy, and now for the first time ever, he (Alex Brown Church) will embark on a solo acoustic tour embracing the close setting. Church, typically accompanied by a five-piece band, will scale back his performances and instead, don the stage with just a guitar and his singular voice. Appropriately, the 30-date tour will commence this fall as the leaves start to turn and Church’s autumnal hymns are at their most poignant. Joining him on his solo serenade will be fellow troubadours Patrick Park and Sera Cahoone.
Coinciding with the tour, new single “Turn the Dirt Over” from Sea Wolf’s acclaimed sophomore release, White Water, White Bloom (Dangerbird Records), will be pressed on 7″ vinyl and made available digitally. The 7″ will be backed with a remix by Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning, who radically pushes the limits of the original by injecting a steady disco beat, a flourish of keyboards, inventive percussion and extending the song nearly two and half minutes.
The digital version, which may be purchased on its own and come packaged with the 7″ as a download, will also contain the unreleased gem, “Where the Wind Blows.” The song stems from the White Water, White Bloom sessions and perfectly embodies Sea Wolf’s intimate nature with finger-picked notes and close-miked vocals, resembling a cozy bedroom, 3 am recording. As the song unfolds, additional instruments gently creep in – a lone cello, shuffling percussion, an electric guitar – which all bolster the beautiful melody, ultimately returning to just Church’s sweet voice and his guitar.
SEA WOLF SOLO ACOUSTIC TOUR
September 8 – San Diego, Calif. @ Soda Bar
September 9 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Rhythm Room
September 11 – Austin, Texas @ Emo’s Jr.
September 12 – Denton, Texas @ Hailey’s
September 13 – Memphis, Tenn. @ Hi Tone Café
September 14 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Bottletree
September 15 – Decatur, Ga. @ Eddie’s Attic
September 16 – Chapel Hill, N.C. @ Nightlight
September 17 – Baltimore, Md. @ Metro Gallery
September 18 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ North Star
September 19 – New York, N.Y. @ Mercury Lounge
September 20 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Knitting Factory
September 21 – Boston, Mass. @ Middle East Upstairs
September 22 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
September 23 – Clinton, N.Y. @ Hamilton College
September 24 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ The Altar Bar
September 25 – Toledo, Ohio @ Mickey Finn’s Pub
September 26 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lincoln Hall
September 27 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Turf Club
September 28 – Omaha, Neb. @ Waiting Room
September 29 – Lincoln, Neb. @ Bourbon Theater
September 30 – Colorado Springs, Co. @ Stargazers Theatre
October 1 – Denver, Colo. @ Hi-Dive
October 2 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Kilby Court
October 4 – Seattle, Wash. @ Tractor Tavern
October 5 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
October 6 – Portland, Ore. @ Doug Fir Lounge
October 7 – Arcata, Calif. @ Humboldt State University
October 8 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent
October 9 – Fresno, Calif. @ Franks
October 10 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Echo Park United Methodist Church