Mar 13, 2023
By Mark Redfern
Photography by Juan Ortiz Arenas
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (the project led by New Zealand-born Ruban Nielson) are releasing a new album, V, on March 17 via Jagjaguwar. Now they have shared its newest single, “Meshugga.” Listen below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.
The album includes “I Killed Captain Hook,” a single shared last November, and “Weekend Run,” a single from 2021. “Layla” was shared via a music video in early February, when the album was announced. Then in late February they shared the album’s “Nadja,” via a music video that was connected to the “Layla” video. “Nadja” was one of our Songs of the Week.
V was recorded in Palm Springs with Nielson’s brother, Kody Nielson, alongside their father, Chris Nielson (saxophone/flute), and longstanding Unknown Mortal Orchestra member Jake Portrait. At the start of the pandemic, Nielson took a break from recording and spent some time in Hawaii to be there for a sick uncle and to help his mother and another uncle move to Hawaii from New Zealand and Portland. There was also a family wedding in Hawaii. The Nielson brothers then returned to Palm Springs to finish the album.
“In Hawaii, everything shifted off of me and my music,” Ruban Nielson said in a previous press release. “Suddenly, I was spending more time figuring out what others need and what my role is within my family. I also learned that things I thought were true of myself are bigger than I thought. My way of making mischief—that’s not just me—that’s my whole Polynesian side. I thought I was walking away from music to focus on family, but the two ended up connecting.”
In 2018, Unknown Mortal Ochestra released two albums: Sex & Food and IC-01 Hanoi.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra 2023 Dates:
3/20 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
3/21 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
3/22 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom (Sold Out)
3/22-26 – Boise, ID @Treefort Music Festival
3/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre (Sold Out)
3/27 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
3/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (Sold Out)
3/29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (Sold Out)
3/31 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park (Sold Out)
4/1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
4/2 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
4/4 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
4/5 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
4/6 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
4/7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
4/8 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
4/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
4/11 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
4/13 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall (Sold Out)
4/14 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall (Sold Out)
4/15 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall (Sold Out)
4/16 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
4/18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club (Sold Out)
4/19 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
4/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
4/22 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
5/28 – Brussels, Belgium @ Core Festival
5/30 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion
5/31 – London, UK @ Troxy (Sold Out)
6/1 – London, UK @ Troxy
6/3 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Zakk
6/4 – Berlin, Germany @ Metropol
6/7 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Under Bron
6/8 – Frederiksberg, Denmark @ Syd For Solen
6/8 Syd For Solen needs to be added
6/9 – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands @ Best Kept Secret
6/10 – Hamburg, Germany @ ELBJAZZ Festival
6/12 – Paris, France @ La Cigale
6/15 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
6/16 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
6/17 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers
6/19 – Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
6/20 – Liverpool, UK @ Content
6/21 – Bristol, UK @ Bristol 02 Academy 1
9/1 – Larmer Tree Gardens, UK @ End Of The Road Festival