Anna Burch Announces New Album, Shares Lead Single “Not So Bad”

“What is this instinct to hate on everything?” asks singer/songwriter Anna Burch on her new song “Not So Bad,” the first from her forthcoming sophomore album If You’re Dreaming, which is out April 3 on Polyvinyl. This will be Burch’s second LP for the label, following 2018’s Quit the Curse. Sam Evian produced the new record.

“Not So Bad” is kind of like a dreamscape, as its delightful music video, which features several dance sequences and plenty of twirling. The chorus is a response to Burch’s question: “It’s not so bad,” she sings. “I’m still here,” she later says, “if it’s not clear.” The video was directed by Burch, and Ben Collins was the director of photography. Here’s Burch’s statement on the dryly funny, whimsical tune:

I wrote Not So Bad the day before I left to record, because I felt there was an important piece of the album missing—a hopeful, escapist pop song that dealt more positively with themes the other songs were circling around—and luckily it came together almost immediately. The chord progression felt light and jazzy, and when I started to write the words I remembered my mom bugging me about how melancholic my lyrics tend to be, “Surely your life hasn’t all been that bad!” I wanted to express the importance of cultivating a rich interior life that falls outside of the economy of images and information we’re disseminating at all times. Not So Bad is an optimistic love song about retreating into memories to find what you need to feel in control of your own narrative when everything else around you feels precarious.

Watch the “Not So Bad” video below. Keep scrolling for the If You’re Dreaming album art and tracklist, as well as Burch’s extensive tour dates, some of which are with Long Beard.

If You’re Dreaming Album Art:

If You’re Dreaming Tracklist:

1. Can’t Sleep
2. Party’s Over
3. Jacket
4. So I Can See
5. Ask Me To
6. Keep It Warm
7. Go It Alone
8. Tell Me What’s True
9. Not So Bad
10. Picture Show
11. Every Feeling
12. Here With You

Anna Burch Tour Dates:

March
14 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ MOTR Pub
15 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Blueberry Hill
16 – Fayetteville, Ark. @ George’s Majestic Lounge
17-20 – Austin, Texas @ SXSW
22 – Norman, Okla. @ Opolis
24 – Bloomington, Ind. @ The Bishop

April
03 – Detroit, Mich. @ UFO Factory #
04 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Baby G #
05 – Montreal, Québec @ Casa Del Popolo #
07 – Boston, Mass. @ Great Scott #
08 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Boot & Saddle #
10 – New York, N.Y. @ The Dance #
11 – Washington, D.C. @ Songbyrd #
13 – Atlanta, Ga. @ 529 Club #
14 – Nashville, Tenn. @ DRKMTTR #
15 – Columbia, Mo. @ Cafe Berlin #
16 – Lawrence, Kan. @ White Schoolhouse #
17 – Omaha, Neb. @ Reverb Lounge #
18 – Denver, Colo. @ Hi-Dive #
20 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Casbah #
21 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Bootleg Bar #
22 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Bottom of the Hill #
24 – Seattle, Wash. @ Sunset Tavern #
25 – Portland, Ore. @ Bunk Bar #
26 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Wise Hall #
30 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ 7th Street Entry #

May
01 – Madison, Wis. @ UW Madison – Terrace #
02 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Company Brewing #
03 – Chicago, Ill. @ Sleeping Village #
06 – Bristol, U.K. @ The Louisiana
07 – Manchester, U.K. @ YES
08 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Sound House
09 – Belfast, U.K. @ Cathedral Quarter Festival
10 – Glasgow, UK @ The Hug & Pint
12 – Leeds, U.K. @ Brudenell Social Club
13 – London, U.K. @ Oslo
15 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso – Upstairs
16 – Paris, France @ Le Pop-Up du Label
17 – Groningen, Netherlands @ Vera
18 – Leffinge, Belgium @ De Zwerver
19 – Düsseldorf, Germany @ Kassette
20 – Hamburg, Germany @ Turmzimmer
21 – Berlin, Germany @ Privatclub
22 – Munich, Germany @ Heppel & Ettlich
23 – Freiburg, Germany @ Swamp

1. w/ Long Beard