Exclusive: Avi Kaplan Shares New Single “It Knows Me,” Signs to Fantasy Records

Tennessee singer-songwriter Avi Kaplan has shared a new song, “It Knows Me,” premiering right here at Paste. The track appears on the former Pentatonix vocalist’s forthcoming debut solo EP I’ll Get By, produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, First Aid Kit) and due out Feb. 28 via Kaplan’s new label, Fantasy Records.

“‘It Knows Me’ was one of my favorite songs to record and produce with Mike,” says Kaplan of his new single. “I wanted this song to carry the weight of the lyrics but still contain hopefulness. The weight is carried by the huge tribal drums and the heavily stacked, almost hymnal-like vocal harmonies. The hopefulness is embodied in the ‘verbed-out whistles, along with the guitar and mandolin.”

“Yeah, I know darkness / and it knows me,” Kaplan sings in the opening verse of the peaceful, yet pop-forward track, evoking the empowerment and freedom that accompany self-knowledge and self-acceptance. The singer-songwriter’s sonorous voice is later joined by finger-picked acoustic guitars—it’s difficult to say which instrument is more uplifting.

Of teaming up with his new label, Kaplan adds, “Signing with Fantasy is an absolute dream come true. It’s such a blessing to work with a label that truly cares about the soul of the music and to be on the same roster as artists that I’ve looked up to for as long as I can remember.”

Kaplan heads out on a solo North American headlining tour this spring, beginning with a March 1 stop in Paste’s hometown of Atlanta, Ga. and criss-crossing the continent before concluding with an April show in Nashville, a stone’s throw from Kaplan’s Tennessee home base.

Listen to “It Knows Me” and see the details of Kaplan’s forthcoming EP below, plus his tour dates further down.

I’ll Get By EP Tracklist:
1. Change on the Rise
2. I’ll Get By
3. It Knows Me
4. Sweet Adeline Pt. 2
5. Chains
6. Born In California
7. Full Moon

I’ll Get By EP Art:

Avi Kaplan Tour Dates:

March
01 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Terminal West
02 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Saturn
05 – Houston, Texas @ Heights Theater
06 – Austin, Texas @ 04 Center
07 – Dallas, Texas @ Kessler
12 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Lodge Room
13 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Swedish American Hall
14 – Bend, Ore. @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
16 – Portland, Ore. @ Revolution Hall
17 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Biltmore Cabaret
18 – Seattle, Wash. @ Neumos
20 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ State Room
21 – Denver, Colo. @ Gothic Theatre
23 – Omaha, Neb. @ Slow Down
24 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Cedar Cultural Center
26 – Chicago, Ill. @ Thalia Hall
27 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Grog Shop
28 – Toronto, Ont. @ Great Hall
30 – Burlington, Vt. @ ArtsRiot

April
01 – Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club
02 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ The Bell House
03 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Underground Arts
04 – Washington, D.C. @ U Street Music Hall
07 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Lincoln Theatre
08 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Visulite Theatre
09 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Basement East