Following the release of Out in the Storm a little over a year ago, Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee is poised to take the next step forward… by taking a step back? Well, sort of. Let me explain.
On September 7, Waxahatchee will return to the world of recorded music with their Great Thunder EP, a collection of songs whose origins date back to the project’s Cerulean Salt and Ivy Tripp eras. Crutchfield originally wrote what is now Great Thunder for a different project of hers — the now-dormant, also-named “Great Thunder” Great Thunder — revisiting and reimagining things at Justin Vernon’s studio in Eau Claire, WI with the help of producer Brad Cook.
As opposed the “rock-oriented” Out in the Storm, Great Thunder leans towards a more folk- and country-inspired sound, harkening back to how Waxahatchee originally started: Crutchfield performing solo, quiet, stripped-down songs. Commenting on the whole experience, Crutchfield called the process of making the EP “cathartic” and says the result is “a warm, kind of vibey recording.”
Get your first taste of Great Thunder below by watching the video for “Chapel of Pines.” The clip stars Crutchfield, Kevin Morby’s Kevin Morby, and a few people dressed up in rat costumes (?). You can also check out Great Thunder’s album art (you already saw it up top, but we’re gonna give it to you again no questions asked!) and full tracklisting, as well as an upcoming slate of solo Waxahatchee shows that get going in September.
Remember what else happens in September? …Seriously? Umm, Waxahatchee’s Great Thunder EP comes out! Jesus, have you even been paying attention? September 7 via Merge Records.. Just pre-order it here and get out of my face.
Great Thunder tracklist:
01. Singer’s No Star
02. You’re Welcome
03. Chapel of Pines
04. You Left Me with an Ocean
05. Slow You Down
06. Takes So Much
Waxahatchee tour dates
08.04.18 – Missoula, MT – Travelers’ Rest Festival
09.05.18 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre*
09.06.18 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Fest
09.08.18 – Washington, DC – Miracle Theatre*
09.09.18 – Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House*
09.10.18 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge*
09.12.18 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol*
09.13.18 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart’s Opera House*
09.14.18 – Cleveland, OH – Survival Kit Gallery*
09.15.18 – Toronto, ON – Bloor Street United Church*
09.16.18 – Grand Rapids, MI – Wealthy Theatre*
09.17-22.18 – Lincoln, NE – Lincoln Calling
09.18.18 – Madison, WI – Mineral Point Opera House*
09.21.18 – Lawrence, KS – The White Schoolhouse*
09.28.18 – Philadelphia, PA – Philly Music Fest @ World Cafe Live
09.29.18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre^
09.30.18 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre^
10.02.18 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren^
10.03.18 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park^
10.05.18 –Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre^
10.06.18 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
10.08.18 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre^
10.09.18 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre^
10.10.18 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre^
10.11.18 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom^
10.12.18 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom^
10.17.18 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre^
10.21.18 – Boston, MA – House of Blues^
10.23.18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore^
10.25.18 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works^
10.27.18 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s^
11.17.18 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre (The Complete Last Waltz)
* Night Shop, Anna St. Louis
^ Courtney Barnett