While You Were Away: New Music From Interpol and Sleater-Kinney, Kurt Cobain Movie Adapted Into An Opera, Tours On Sale This Week And More

In this week’s edition of While You Were Away, we’re talking about new music from Interpol and Sleater-Kinney, the new Kurt Cobain-inspired opera in the works, new festival dates for Nine Inch Nails and more.

Interpol announce new album ‘The Other Side of Make-Believe’

Interpol are back! The band have announced their seventh album The Other Side of Make-Believe, out July 15th via Matador Records. To preview the record, the band shared lead single “Toni” along with its accompanying video.

Recorded in a rented home in the Catskills in early 2021, the record sees the band reuniting with previous collaborator Alan Moulder, who co-produced the album with Flood.

“We really extracted the honey out of this situation,” said drummer Samuel Fogarino in a statement. Guitarist Daniel Kessler added, “Working alone was raw at first, but has opened up a vivid new chapter for us.”

Lead singer Paul Banks continues saying “We usually write live, but for the first time, I’m not shouting over a drum kit. Daniel and I have a strong enough chemistry that I could picture how my voice would complement the scratch demos he emailed over. Then I could turn the guys down on my laptop, locate these colorful melodies, and generally get the message across in an understated fashion.”

Watch “Toni” below. Pre-orders for The Other Side of Make-Believe can be found here.

Sleater-Kinney announce ‘Dig Me Out’ covers album

Sleater-Kinney are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their third album, Dig Me Out, with a covers album.

Dubbed Dig Me Out – A Covers Album, the record features Wilco, Courtney Barnett, St. Vincent, The Linda Lindas, Margo Price, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, and more.

The band shared a statement about the upcoming release saying: “To commemorate 25 years of Dig Me Out, we’re releasing a covers album featuring some of our closest friends and admired artists! We can’t wait to share these unique renditions with you. Coming this summer!”

A portion of proceeds from the record will be donated to the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC), an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit advocacy organization based in Portland, Oregon, the band’s hometown.

Check out Sleater-Kinney’s announcement below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sleater-Kinney (@sleater_kinney)

Gus Van Sant’s Kurt Cobain movie is being turned into an opera

In a move no one really asked for, Gus Van Sant’s 2005 movie, Last Days, based loosely on the last days of Kurt Cobain, is being adapted into an opera for its 2022-2023 season.

Composed by Oliver Leith with libretto by Matt Copson, the Last Days opera, “plunges into the torment that created a modern myth,” the Royal Opera House said. The story follows the musician Blake, Cobain’s stand-in, as he returns home from a stint in rehab. “But he is haunted by objects, visitors, and memories distracting him from his true purpose — self-destruction.” Anna Morrissey and Copson will direct the opera, which is set to debut in October.

“We know it is coming,” Leith said, referring to the movie’s portrayal of Cobain’s death. “It is used as a lens through which we see everyday somnambulistic life heightened. For example, telling a delivery person to ‘come back another day’ is loaded with tragedy. I think opera also raises the stakes of the quotidian.”

Nine Inch Nails replace Foo Fighters at Boston Calling and Welcome to Rockville

Nine Inch Nails will replace Foo Fighters as the Friday night headliners at Boston Calling Festival.

Foo Fighters canceled all their 2022 tour dates, including their appearance at Boston Calling, following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Now, Nine Inch Nails will close out the festival’s first night on Friday, May 27th.

Boston Calling takes place May 27th-29th at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Boston, MA. Tickets are still on sale.

Nine Inch Nails will also replace Foo Fighters at Welcome to Rockville, which takes place May 19-22 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. See the updated lineups below.

Nine Inch Nails will headline @RockvilleFest on Sunday, May 22nd and @bostoncalling on Friday, May 27th.

Tickets and Weekend Passes Available Now.https://t.co/4hlJH94I8vhttps://t.co/5arHF6jaXF pic.twitter.com/IkSguyM35a

— nine inch nails (@nineinchnails) April 6, 2022

Tours on sale this week

Bauhaus have expanded their 2022 reunion tour with new US dates. The North American leg kicks off September 6th in Toronto, Ontario, and wraps up September 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia. Get details and tickets here.

Banks has added more dates to her North American tour turning it into a full 25-date run with special guest Lauren Jauregui. The tour kicks off May 25th in San Diego, California, and concludes August 15th in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets on sale here.

Pusha T will embark on his 2022 tour starting May 29th in Seattle, Washington. The trek wraps up June 23rd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets available here.

Mitski has added a new batch of North American and European dates in support of her latest album, Laurel Hell. Her 2022 outing now includes stops in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Providence, Rhode Island; Troutdale, Oregon; Burnaby, British Columbia; and a second show at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Check out all her dates here.

Related Images: