Palehound Announces New Album You Sing Like You’re Joking

New York-based indie rockers Palehound are preparing to launch their first album in over four years, titled "You Sing Like You’re Joking," which is set to be released on February 5 via Polyvinyl. The album, co-produced by Katie Von Schleicher and Ava Luna's Julian Fader, features contributions from Nick Hakim. To promote the release, the band has unveiled the music video for their new lead single, "Natural Disasters," directed by Rachel Brown of Water From Your Eyes.

The video is filled with imagery of gas masks, abandoned houses, and best friends holding hands, symbolizing the themes of friendship, love as a memory, and impending societal doom. Brown shares that the concept of friendship and love as a memory was crucial in the video's narrative, as the song beautifully portrays these emotions even when someone is no longer present in one's life. Additionally, the gas mask is a direct reference to the nuclear war imagery of the 1960s, reflecting the band's underlying concerns.

The band has been a fan of Palehound since their debut album, and Brown was honored when asked to collaborate on the video. She says, "I think it's necessary to hold onto the joy you felt with someone, even if they are no longer in your present life, which I think the song paints so beautifully. I also wanted to present the concept of impending societal doom as something subtle and lonely."

"You Sing Like You’re Joking" marks El Kempner's fifth studio album under the Palehound name. Their previous album, "Eye on the Bat," was released in 2023. The track listing for the upcoming album includes: "Incisions," "Hourglass," "The Midwest," "Patio," "Natural Disasters," "Target," "Color," "Sum of Our Days," and "Sleep Through Anything."