Song Premiere: Fruit Bats - "Tangie and Ray"

With the 10-year anniversary of Echolocation looming, Fruit Bats’ leader, Eric D. Johnson felt the urge to evolve from the band’s debut record. Straying from the folk-friendly sound associated with the Fruit Bats, Johnson has taken tips from his time working on film to incorporate a darker synth-infused sound to his latest record, Tripper.

In terms of his songwriting, Johnson has said that this record will completely encompass a storytelling approach. On Tripper, the story he’s trying to tell is one that dates back to the band’s inception—on a bus ride where he encountered a friendly stranger named Tony. His unrequited desire to take a road trip with this ‘Tony’ character turned into the inspiration behind Tripper.

Listen to “Tangie and Ray”—Johnson’s first single off of his forthcoming record, out Aug. 2 via Sub Pop. Sung earnestly through his bright tenor voice, Johnson said the song came to him during a haunting drive after a show when he was fascinated by how easily the surrounding nature could simply swallow him how. Check out and download “Tangie and Ray” via the embed below.