Thundercat Announces New Album Drunk and World Tour, Releases Single

Once again, 2017 proves to be a dubious start for the country and a fantastic year for music. Grammy-winner and space jazz wizard Thundercat has announced his third full-length studio album Drunk, and it’s going to be incredible. The 23-track album includes a knockout array of features, including Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa and Kamasi Washington. Thundercat released the first single off the album, “Show You The Way,” and it features 1980s musical icons Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald (formerly of The Doobie Brothers). Thundercat described Loggins in an interview with Red Bull Music Academy Daily as one of his “favorite songwriters,” and when Loggins suggested bringing McDonald in on the track, everything just clicked. Thundercat described the meaning and making of “Show You The Way” in a statement:

That song to me is about going down the rabbit hole, taking you to another place … On the edge of dark, there’s the brightest light. It means a lot to me in the sense of … the experience that I’ve had growing up with friends and people that I’ve been around where it’s inviting them into where I come from emotionally. Sometimes it’s a pretty intense thing. The point is how weird things can get. I feel like it’s very funny that, in a way, of course Michael McDonald and Kenny would be there.

The title Drunk reflects the emotional intensity (but also humor) of the single and the rest of the album. The honesty and integrity of the music is important to Thundercat, as well as exploring the dual nature and contradiction of being drunk. “I’ve always tried to hold true to what Erykah Badu and Flying Lotus told me: It has to come from an honest place,” he told Red Bull Music Academy Daily. “I feel like it’s a place that I’ve been in different ways, seen different angles of and it’s been a bit inspirational, the drinking.”

Drunk is set to be released Feb. 24 on Brainfeeder, and is available here for preorder. Listen to the single “Show You The Way,” check out the album cover and see Thundercat’s newly announced world tour dates below. Judging from the amount of venues already sold out, you should probably get your tickets sooner rather than later.

Drunk Tracklist
01. Rabbot Ho
02. Captain Stupido
03. Uh Uh
04. Bus In These Streets
05. A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suite II)
06. Lava Lamp
07. Jethro
08. Day & Night
09. Show You The Way (feat. Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins)
10. Walk On By (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
11. Blackkk
12. Tokyo
13. Jameel’s Space Ride
14. Friend Zone
15. Them Changes
16. Where I’m Going
17. Drink Dat (feat. Wiz Khalifa)
18. Inferno
19. I Am Crazy
20. 3AM
21. Drunk
22. The Turn Down (feat. Pharrell)
23. DUI

Thundercat World Tour Dates:

February
12 — San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent *
13 — San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent *
14 — San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent *
16 — Portland, Ore. @ Wonder Ballroom
17 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ Rickshaw Theatre
18 — Bellingham, Wash. @ Wild Buffalo
19 — Seattle, Wash. @ Barboza *
21 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge
22 — Denver, Colo. @ Bluebird Theater
24 — Minneapolis, Minn. @ Fine Line Music Cafe
25 — Chicago, Ill. @ Concord Music Hall
26 — Detroit, Mich. @ Magic Stick
28 — Toronto, Ontario @ Danforth Music Hall

March
01 — Montreal, Quebec @ SAT
02 — Boston, Mass. @ Paradise *
03 — New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza
04 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer
05 — Washington, D.C. @ U Street Music Hall *
07 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Terminal West
08 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Exit In
10 — New Orleans, La. @ Buku Music + Art Project
11 — Houston, Texas @ Warehouse Live
12 — Dallas, Texas @ Trees
16 — Tel Aviv, Israel @ Barby Club *
17 — Istanbul, Turkey @ Babylon
18 — Warsaw, Poland @ Niebo Club
19 — Berlin, Germany @ Yaam
20 — Hamburg, Germany @ Mojo
21 — Cologne, Germany @ CBE
22 — Bristol, U.K. @ Thekla
23 — Manchester, U.K. @ Gorilla
24 — Liverpool, U.K. @ Invisible Wind Factory
27 — Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street
28 — London, U.K. @ Heaven
29 — Reims, France @ La Cartonnerie
30 — Paris, France @ Trabendo

April
01 — Fribourg, Switzerland @ Fri-Son
02 — Zurich, Switzerland @ Theater Moods
03 — Bratislava, Slovakia @ Atelier Babylon
04 — Vienna, Austria @ Porgy & Bess
05 — Prague, Czech Republic @ Lucerna Music Bar
07 — Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Rotterdam
08 — Utrecht, Netherlands @ Transition Festival
09 — Brussels, Belgium @ BRDCST Festival
15 — Indio, Calif. @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
22 — Indio, Calif. @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
27 — Tokyo, Japan @ Liquid Room
28 — Nagoya, Japan @ Blue Note
29 — Kyoto, Japan @ Metro
30 — Osaka, Japan @ Conpass

(* = Sold out)