Natalie Merchant’s kicks off a late-summer and fall tour with a performance at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee tonight, followed by stops in Chicago, New York, Boston, Portland, Washington, DC, and more through December. While on tour, Merchant joins fellow Nonesuch artists Kronos Quartet, Rhiannon Giddens, Sam Amidon, and Olivia Chaney for a special set at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House as part of the Nonesuch at BAM celebration of the label's 50th anniversary. See below for all of the currently scheduled shows; for all the latest, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
Prior to tonight's tour launch, Natalie Merchant spoke with Milwaukee NPR member station WUWM about her music and finding her own voice. You can listen online at wuwm.com. And you'll find an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times at suntimes.com.
Natalie Merchant spoke with the Boston Globe in advance of next week's concert there. The Globe's James Reed says her new album is "among her most engaging creations. A collection of vivid character sketches and commentary on social strife, it puts Merchant upfront as a songwriter of spare grace." Read the article at bostonglobe.com.
Merchant’s new self-titled album out now on Nonesuch Records marks her sixth solo collection. This self-produced album is the work of a mature artist with a clear and distinctive voice. Long appreciated for the depth and substance of her writing, Merchant has never shied away from weighty themes or subjects for her lyrics. She describes the new release as informed “by experience and keen observation,” dealing with issues of “love gained and lost, regret, denial, surrender, greed, destructiveness, defeat, and occasional triumph.”
Combining three decades of experience in song writing and album making, Merchant’s production style is nuanced and pure. Her voice is framed by a balanced blend of electric and acoustic sound throughout with musicianship of exceptional quality. String, brass, and woodwind arrangements mingle with Hammond organ and electric guitar improvisations. Players include John Medeski, Shawn Pelton, Clark Gayton, Uri Sharlin, Jesse Murphy, Erik Della Penna, Gabriel Gordon, and guest vocalists Simi Stone, Elizabeth Mitchell and gospel singer Corliss Stafford.
NATALIE MERCHANT ON TOUR
* Nonesuch Records at BAM w/ Kronos Quartet, Rhiannon Giddens, Sam Amidon, Olivia Chaney