Daily Dose: Iron & Wine, “Waves of Galveston”

Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.

New from Iron & Wine is “Waves of Galveston,” a song Sam Beam, the artist behind Iron & Wine, wrote years ago. He performed it first for The A.V. Club’s “State Songs” Series—the state being Texas, “Waves of Galveston” is a song about Texas and was performed in Texas by Beam while he was living there. That was 2013, and since then Beam has released two full-length albums and two collaborative albums, but “Waves of Galveston” never reappeared with an official release. Well, now is its time because it is on the forthcoming Iron & Wine EP Weed Garden.

The long-awaited “Waves of Galveston” follows the release of “What Hurts Worse”. Galveston, Texas was a short trip from Beam’s home in Austin, and “Waves of Galveston” captures milky memories from the coastal city. The acoustic song is reminiscent of some of Iron & Wine’s earliest material (think Our Endless Numbered Days). Although the song features heavy imagery of being left behind, Beam’s soothing vocals and lithe finger-picking are the balm to any wounds. “It’s too bad that you ain’t got a soft place to fall,” Beam sings, but then follows with a personified Texas reassuring that, “If you can make the music then you can have the dance.”

Due out Aug. 31, Weed Garden is essentially a companion piece to Beast Epic, released last year. The six-song collection stems from the same writing process that also produced Beast Epic. You can pre-order Weed Garden here. You can read our discussion with Beam about finding his voice on Beast Epic here.

Iron & Wine picks up his tour supporting Weed Garden and Beast Epic on Sept. 21 in Missouri. The fall tour will close Nov. 17 in Memphis, TN.

Listen to “Waves of Galveston” below and watch a Paste archives performance by Iron & Wine from the Kiss Each Other Clean era beneath that. Find the Weed Garden track list and Iron & Wine’s tour dates further down:

Weed Garden Track List:
1. What Hurts Worse
2. Waves of Galveston
3. Last of Your Rock ‘n’ Roll Heroes
4. Milkweed
5. Autumn Town Leaves
6. Talking to Fog

Iron & Wine Tour Dates:

September
21 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland *
22 – Denver, Colo. @ Paramount Theare *
23 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Capitol Theatre *
24 – Boise, Idaho @ Revolution Concert House and Event Center *
26 – Eureka, Calif. @ Arkley Center for the Performing Arts *
27 – Sacramento, Calif @ Crest Theatre *
28 – Anaheim, Calif @ House of Blues *
29 – Tucson, Ariz. @ Rialto Theatre *
30 – Santa Fe, N.M. @ Lensic Performing Arts Center *

October
02 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Cain’s Ballroom *
03 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant ^
04 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Pabst Theater *
05 – Bloomington, Ill. @ Castle Theatre *
06 – Columbus, Ohio @ Southern Theatre *

November
02 – Ann Arbor, Mich. @ Michigan Theater
03 – Toronto, Ontario @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre **
04 – Montreal, Quebec @ Corona Theatre **
06 – Portland, Maine @ State Theatre **
07 – Huntington, N.Y. @ The Paramount **
08 – Glenside, Penn. @ Keswick Theatre **
09 – Norfolk, Va. @ NorVa **
10 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Meymandi Concert Hall **
12 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium **
14 – Augusta, Ga. @ Miller Theater **
15 – Tampa, Fla. @ Tampa Theatre **
16 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Buckhead Theatre **
17 – Memphis, Tenn. @ Orpheum Theatre **

(* = w/ Erin Rae)
( = w/ Ohmme)
(^ = w/ Carl Broemel)