Bob Mould Readies New Album ‘Sunshine Rock,’ Unveils ‘Bright’ Title Track
“That’s really what this is about: trying to make great rock albums for people because there’s not that many anymore,” Hüsker Dü rocker says of new LP
By Daniel Kreps
Bob Mould has announced that his new album Sunshine Rock will arrive in February 2019. The album marks the former Hüsker Dü rocker’s first since 2015’s Patch the Sky as well as his first since moving to Berlin two years ago.
“Almost four years ago, I made plans for an extended break,” Mould said in a statement. “I started spending time in Berlin in 2015, found an apartment in 2016, and became a resident in 2017. My time in Berlin has been a life changing experience. The winter days are long and dark, but when the sun comes back, all spirits lift.”
The sun is a reoccurring theme on Sunshine Rock, due out February 8th via Merge Records and available to preorder now; the word “sun” appears in Mould’s lyrics 27 times over the album’s 37-minute runtime, including in the LP’s first single and title track “Sunshine Rock.”
“‘Sunshine Rock’ was such a bright, optimistic song, and once that came together, I knew that would be the title track, and that really set the tone for the direction of the album,” Mould added. “It was funny, because writing with that as the opener in mind, it was like, ‘This is not Black Sheets of Rain,’” a nod to Mould’s 1990 solo LP.
Mould has also scheduled a North American tour to coincide with the arrival of Sunshine Rock in February.
“I’ve heard this thing about ‘guitars are dead’ at least five times, and they always seem to come back,” Mould added of his new album, whose sound harkens back to his Sugar days. “For better or worse, this is what I do. I think there’s a lot of people trying to aspire to make great albums. That’s really what this is about: trying to make great rock albums for people because there’s not that many anymore.”
Bob Mould Tour Dates
February 14 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
February 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
February 16 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
February 18 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
February 19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
February 21 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
February 22 & 23 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
February 25 – Ft. Collins, CO @ Washington’s
February 26 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
March 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
March 2 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
March 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Palace
March 31 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
April 2 – Dallas, TX @ Granada
April 3 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
April 5 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
April 6 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
April 7 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw