News, Reviews

Kevin Morby and Hamilton Leithauser Collaborate on “Virginia Beach”

October 18, 2021
 photocredit: Shervin Lainez

Kevin Morby and Hamilton Leithauser Collaborate on “Virginia Beach”

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Kevin Morby announces 2022 EU tour

Kevin Morby and Hamilton Leithauser have shared a collaborative track, “Virginia Beach,” which follows Morby’s A Night At The Little Los Angeles, a 4-track demo version of Sundowner out now via Dead Oceans.

Alongside, Kevin Morby has announced a 2022 European tour, with tickets on sale now (https://www.kevinmorby.com/tour). 

Full list of EU dates below…
Friday 20th May – Madrid – Tomavistas

Saturday 21st May – Biarritz – L’Atabal

Sunday 22nd May – Montpellier – Le Rockstore

Monday 23rd May – Bordeaux – Rock School Barbey

Tuesday 24th May – Paris – Le Bataclan

Wednesday 25th May – Koln – Kulturkirche

Thursday 26th May – Antwerp – De Roma

Sunday 29th May – Utrecht – TivoliVredenburg (Ronda)

Monday 30th May – Hamburg – Uebel & Gefährlich

Tuesday 31st May – Berlin – Metropol

Wednesday 1st June – Schorndorf – Manufaktur

Saturday 4th June – Clermont–Ferrand – La Cooperative de Mai

Sunday 5th June – Lille – Aéronef

“Virginia Beach” opens with deftly finger-picked guitar, each musician singing their own stanza before their voices join together. Jabbing piano chords, unconstrained licks of electric guitar and dynamic percussion layer in. After Leithauser originally wrote the track in New York, he sent it over to Morby, who recorded his own vocals in Kansas City.

The sublime guitar textures emerge and the mighty tones are instantly impressive. The atmospherical ensemble engulfs the audience as the innovative creation showcases this expressive detail. The collaboration oozes character and complexitiy, the musicians bounce off one another and the energy emits into the immersive attribute of this captivating track. The structure grows with additional layers weaving throughout the ambiance and boldly nods western detailing amongst the americana intensive instrumentation.

“I wanted to do a modern take on a dark country song which would transform into more of a dark dance groove,” explains Hamilton. “I also wrote an entire vocal track over it but just didn’t think my voice was taking it anywhere new, so I sent the track to Kevin Morby.  His voice sounds nothing like my own, and his songs usually have a very different structure than mine. I thought maybe he could take it in a new direction.  He told me he wanted to write a traveling song, maybe mentioning some places people don’t sing about that much, and he sent me some lyrics. I loved it and wrote my ‘Virginia Beach’ lines right then and there, and sent them back to him.”

Morby further explains: “Maybe it was being in one place for almost two years, or maybe it was the mysterious and kinetic energy of the composition, but I found myself compelled to write of all the bizarre yet beautiful corners of America one often overlooks that a touring musician inevitably finds themselves in while out on the road. The Paris Idahos and the Texarkanas. It was my attempt at evoking Cash and Dylans ‘Wanted Man’ or Barbara Keith’s ‘Detroit or Buffalo,’ or any of those other lost country and rock n roll songs that shout out cities off the beaten path. Cities that down-and-out characters race towards in an attempt to outrun themselves. Though of course – as the saying goes, no matter where you go, there you are.”

Kevin Morby’s most recent album A Night At The Little Los Angelesa 4-track demo version of “Sundowner” is out now on Dead Oceans. 

http://www.kevinmorby.com/

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