Listen to Julien Baker’s Record Store Day 2019 Releases “Red Door” and “Conversation Piece”

April 13 marked Record Store Day 2019, and singer-songwriter Julien Baker released an exclusive 7” featuring two tracks. Today, those tracks, “Red Door” and “Conversation Piece,” are available to stream.

The two tracks are Baker’s most recent releases since her smash-hit collaboration EP with Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, boygenius. Previous to that, Baker’s last solo release is her 2017 album Turn Out the Lights.

Sonically minimalistic, “Red Door” is a touching track that shows the strengths of Baker’s voice. The singer has been performing the track for years, and a demo has been readily accessible for listeners if they searched, but there’s something special about the recorded track. Beautifully heartbreaking, Baker ends the song singing “I want to let you break my heart” over and over again as she ends on “I want to let you break me.” It’s simplistic, yet packs a heavy punch when really listened to.

Similar to “Red Door,” “Conversation Piece” takes a mellow guitar approach with Baker’s vocals at the forefront as the song builds over its three minutes. Bringing strings and a steady drum beat into the end of the track, the song ends on a melancholic, but somewhat hopeful note (if that’s possible with Baker’s normally emotional tracks): “So do you think when I die I’d get a second try? / To do everything right I couldn’t the first time?” Baker sings.

The digital release of the tracks comes just before Baker sets out on a slew of tour dates with Bon Iver and Lucy Dacus, as well as stops at multiple music festivals across the globe.

Watch a live performance of “Red Door” below and revisit Julien Baker’s 2016 Paste Studios session further down. You can also view Baker’s forthcoming tour dates below that.

Julien Baker summer tour dates:

June
19 – Chicago, Ill. @ House of Vans
22 – Calgary, Alberta @ Sled Island Music Festival
29 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ American Family Insurance Theater*

July
04 – Roskilde, Denmark @ Roskilde Festival
05 – Darmstadt, Germany @ Oetinger Villa
07 – Montreux, Switzerland @ Auditorium Stravinski*
30 – Austin, Tex. @ Austin City Limits TV Taping^
31 – Austin, Tex. @ Paramount Theater^

August
07 – Oslo, Norway @ Øya Festival
08-10 – Rees, Germany @ Haldern Pop Festival
08-10 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Stay Out West
12 – Münster, Germany @ Lwl Museum Für Kunst Und Kultur
13 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg @ Congés Annulés
15 – Paredes de Coura, Portugal @ Vodafone Paredes de Coura

(* = shows with Bon Iver, ^ = shows with Lucy Dacus)