Listen to “Loading Zones,” Kurt Vile’s First New Song Since 2015

Kurt Vile is back, baby: The indie-rock singer-songwriter has shared his first new song in three years, “Loading Zones,” with a hilarious video to match. While there’s no word yet on whether the song belongs to a new album, we’re just happy to have Vile back in the mix—his last solo LP was 2015’s b’lieve i’m goin down….

The Drew Saracco-directed “Loading Zones” video pays tribute to Vile’s native Philadelphia (i.e., his “dirty little town”), and features appearances by actor Kevin Corrigan—best known for his roles in Pineapple Express, Superbad, The Departed and Goodfellas (he was the one in charge of stirring the sauce!)—and Matt Korvette of Pissed Jeans. Both song and video revolve around Vile’s (illegal) parking strategy: Park in loading zones, but not for long.

Corrigan and Korvette play a pair of meter maids whom Vile repeatedly stymies as he hopscotches from one loading zone to the next, each time handling his business and heading out before they can write him up. Having fought the law and won, Vile guitar-solos in a series of urban locales, each one home to him, with Saracco’s camera devouring the Philly city scenery. The video ends on a shot of one of Vile’s classic cars, abandoned beneath a highway, its windshield absolutely littered with parking tickets.

“Loading Zones” itself is a blast, balancing Vile’s knack for warm and idiosyncratic strummers with a renewed boldness: The aforementioned solo is a sonically adventurous, whammy bar-bending highlight, while Vile delivers his diem-carpe’ing lyrics with swagger to spare. “I park for free!” he declares, “One-stop shop life for the quick fix / before you get a ticket / That’s the way I live my life.”

There’s only one sort of ticket that counts in Vile’s world: Tickets to see him on his Vile ‘18 World Tour, beginning in November, following on the heels of his North American and European runs with The Violators. Attendees would be wise to keep an ear out for “Loading Zones,” as well as any other surprises Vile may have up his sleeve.

Watch Vile’s “Loading Zones” video below and find his world tour slate further down.

Kurt Vile World Tour Dates:

October
12 – Hamburg, Germany @ Grünspan ^
13 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Pustervik ^
14 – Oslo, Norway @ Rockefeller #
15 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Bern #
16 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega #
18 – Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys #
19 – Munich, Germany @ Muffathalle #
20 – Zurich, Switzerland @ X-Tra #
21 – Lyon, France @ Epicerie Moderne #
22 – Barcelona, Spain @ Apolo #
23 – Madrid, Spain @ Teatro Barceló #
25 – Lisbon, Spain @ Lisboa Ao Vivo #
26 – Porto, Portugal @ Hard Club #
27 – Bilbao, Spain @ BIME Festival #
28 – Bordeaux, France @ Theatre Barbey #
29 – Paris, France @ La Cigale #
30 – Brussels, Belgium @ Autumn Falls @ AB #

November
01 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso #
02 – Köln, Germany @ Kantine #
03 – Groningen, Netherlands @ Take Root Festival
05 – Brighton, U.K. @ Concorde 2 #
06 – London, U.K. @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire #
07 – London, U.K. @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire #
08 – Bristol, U.K. @ St Philips Gate #
09 – Birmingham, U.K. @ The Crossing #
10 – Manchester, U.K. @ Albert Hall #
11 – Leeds, U.K. @ 02 Academy #
13 – Glasgow, U.K. @ 02 ABC #
14 – Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street #
15 – Belfast, U.K. @ The Limelight #
24 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues *
28 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel *
30 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club *

December
03 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Variety Playhouse *
05 – Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Jones Assembly *
06 – Austin, Texas @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater *
07 – Dallas, Texas @ Canton Hall *
09 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Observatory North Park *
11 – Los Angeles, Calif. v The Wiltern *
12 – Oakland, Calif. @ Fox Theatre *
14 – Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom *
15 – Seattle, Wash. @ Moore Theatre *
16 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore Ballroom *
19 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ First Avenue *
20 – Madison, Wis. @ Sylvee *
21 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Turner Hall *
22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riviera Theatre *

April 2019
18-20 – Tyagarah, Australia @ Byron Bay Bluesfest

(^ – denotes w/ Meg Baird [solo])
(# – denotes w/ Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore)
(* – denotes w/ Jessica Pratt)