The Shins Return To James Mercer Self Produced On New LP ‘Heartworms’ Due 3/10

Following their warmly received Halloween gift to fans in the form of “Dead Alive”(below), The Shins have announced the release of their fifth studio album, Heartworms. The album will be released on March 10th via Aural Apothecary/Columbia Records.

In contrast to 2012’s Port of Morrow, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 and was nominated for a Best Alternative Album GRAMMY, Heartworms ushers in a return to the handmade. Heartworms is, as always, entirely written by James Mercer. However, with the exception of “So Now What” (produced by Richard Swift), Heartworms is the first Shins album to be self-produced by Mercer since Oh, Inverted World in 2001.

Heartworms features Mercer’s most diverse lyrical palette to date: From fictional character sketches (“Fantasy Island,” “Rubber Ballz”), autobiographical accounts (“Mildenhall”), to first single “Name For You,” a resounding call for female empowerment inspired by Mercer’s three daughters.

Heartworms’ track listing is below. The album will be available March 10, 2017, however pre-order is available now here.

Track List

1.    Name For You
2.    Painting a Hole
3.    Cherry Hearts
4.    Fantasy Island
5.    Mildenhall
6.    Rubber Ballz
7.    Half a Million
8.    Dead Alive
9.    Heartworms
10. So Now What
11. The Fear

The record will be supported by a world tour, on which Mercer will be joined by Yuuki Matthews (bass), Jon Sortland (drums), Mark Watrous (guitar, keys, vocals), Casey Foubert (guitar) and Patti King (keys). For those fans who need their fill of The Shins live ASAP, have no fear: the band will be appearing on this weekend’s episode of “A Prairie Home Companion”, which will broadcast live from The Paramount Theatre in Seattle, WA.

See below for The Shins’ current tour schedule. Tickets on sale Friday, January 13th at 10am local time. And stay tuned for many more announcements including additional tour dates.

2017 Tour Dates

March 2 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theatre
March 4 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
March 6 – San Diego,CA – Observatory North Park
March 7 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park
March 28 – Paris, FR – Le Trianon
March 29 – London, UK – Apollo Hammersmith
March 30 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
June 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Prospect Park Bandshell