On March 22nd, Strand of Oaks (Timothy Showalter) will return with his sixth album, Eraserland to be released via Dead Oceans. Today, he releases the latest single, “Ruby.”
“’Ruby’ is the happiest song I’ve ever written,” says Showalter. “Ruby isn’t a person, rather the concept of time and memory and how with every passing year it becomes non linear. In the past I would’ve dismissed such unabashedly pure optimism, but I’ve been through a lot and I’ve learned to appreciate those rare moments of light.” The companion video features unearthed Showalter family footage. “This past year my little brother Jon spent countless hours trying to convert my family’s collection of home movies. Somehow my dad in 1988 got a camera with ‘Buick Points’ and then proceeded to have a side career as world-class cinematographer.”
On Eraserland, Showalter is backed by My Morning Jacket members Carl Broemel, Bo Koster, Patrick Hallahan and Tom Blankenship, who played a crucial role in the making of the album. The album also features Jason Isbell. It was produced by Kevin Ratterman and recorded at La La Land Studios in Louisville, KY. Eraserland is available for pre-order today and the die cut, double LP will be available on limited cloudy white vinyl.
Writer-producer Timothy Showalter has always used the highs and lows of his own life as the source material for his gut punching rock songs. Each of his experiences examined, mediated on and crafted into confessional albums for the world to share. The therapeutic experience of making art this way was often short lived, leading Showalter to bouts of depression and after 2017’s Hard Love, he found himself spent. Empty and determined that he would never write songs again, dark thoughts crept in and Showalter, concerned for his own well-being decided to go on a spiritual pilgrimage – to the Jersey Shore.
During this time, the members of My Morning Jacket, good friends of Showalter’s had gotten word of the terrible state he was in and decided to take things into their own hands. Carl Broemel messaged Showalter and informed him that Bo Koster would be soon be on a two week break from his tour with Roger Waters and they would all be free to meet in Louisville to make the next Strand of Oaks record. Divine intervention or forceful ultimatum, it was the opportunity Showalter needed. He spent the following weeks on the beach doing a mental tearing down-to-the-studs. What emerged was Eraserland, a thrilling and monumental turn for Strand of Oaks.
2019 Tour Dates:
4/10 – FM Kirby Center – Wilkes-Barre, PA
4/11 – U Street Music Hall – Washington, D.C.
4/12 – Motorco Music Hall – Durham, NC
4/13 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
4/14 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL
4/16 – Antone’s – Austin, TX
4/17 – Three Links – Dallas, TX
4/19 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM
4/20 – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ
4/22 – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA
4/23 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
4/25 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
4/26 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
4/27 – Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
4/28 – The Bartlett – Spokane, WA
5/1 – Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN
5/2 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
5/3 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
5/4 – The Hi-Fi – Indianapolis, IN
5/6 – Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH
5/7 – Club Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
5/8 – Sinclair – Boston, MA
5/9 – Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
5/10 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
5/20 – Metropool – Hengelo, THE NETHERLANDS
5/21 – Blue Shell – Cologne, GERMANY
5/23 – Loppen – Copenhagen, DENMARK
5/24 – Privatclub – Berlin, GERMANY
5/25 – TivoliVredenburg – Utrecht, THE NETHERLANDS
5/26 – TRIX – Antwerp, BELGIUM
5/27 – Omeara – London, UK
5/29 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, UK
5/31 – Whelan’s – Dublin, IRELAND