After teasing new music in April, the Shins’ frontman James Mercer revealed that the band’s fifth studio album is complete in a recent interview with Portland’s KBOO 90.7. The follow-up to 2012’s Port of Morrow will be released early next year, with Mercer hoping for a January date.
“My intention was to have the record come out this year, but there’s inevitably these reasons that the label or whatever wants to postpone release, just so that they have more time to set things up,” he said.
The postponement is a calculated move by the label, as artists’ revenue has become increasingly reliant on live performances. Mercer explained that festivals, Coachella in particular, are powerful influencers and release dates play a vital role in lineup placement.
Mercer began working on the currently untitled record about a year ago and describes the sound to be closer to that of the band’s first three albums, rather than Port of Morrow. This is mainly due to Mercer producing the album himself.
“I made a concerted effort on certain songs to fit the palette, to use the palette that I’ve used historically for the band,” he said.
This is not to say that their sound will completely revert to its original state, as Mercer stated that he believes his “songwriting is stronger than it ever was.”
Listen to the full interview below via YouTube.