Fire Track: Iron & Wine – “You Never Know”

On April 26th, 2024, Iron & Wine will release his seventh full-length album, Light Verse, worldwide from Sub Pop. The ten-track collection was produced by the band’s principal singer-songwriter Sam Beam and mixed and engineered by Dave Way at Waystation and Silent Zoo Studios in Los Angeles. Light Verse is the first full-length Iron & Wine release in over seven years and follows his two Grammy-nominated releases, 2017’s Beast Epic and 2018’s Weed Garden EP.

With Light Verse, Beam’s lyrics once again draw on a series of fictional and personal insights, filled with desperate characters and wide-eyed optimists, offering promise and a dose of heartache, tears and laughter, life and love. It’s also Iron & Wine’s most playful record, with its title reflecting how the songs were born with joy after the heaviness and anxiety of the pandemic. Where Beast Epic and Weed Garden gave air to the disquiet of middle-aged frailty and brokenness, Light Verse’s songs trade that for the focus acceptance can bring. Moment by moment, they delight in being pointed or silly (or both) and attempt beauty over prettiness.

Light Verse musically was shaped by a cast of deep players who brought their own stamp of authenticity to Beam’s vision. Joining were Tyler Chester (keyboards), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), David Garza (guitar), Griffin Goldsmith, Beth Goodfellow, Kyle Crane (all drums/percussion) and Paul Cartwright (strings). A 24-piece orchestra makes an appearance over four tracks and Fiona Apple lent her voice – that miracle that sounds like both a sacrifice and a weapon at the same time – to a duet called “All In Good Time.”

Fashioned as an album that should be taken as a whole, Light Verse sounds lovingly handmade and self-assured as a secret handshake. Track by track, its equal parts elegy, kaleidoscope, truth and dare.

Light Verse is available to preorder on CD/LP/digitally worldwide from Sub Pop. LP preorders from Iron & Wine’s official website, megamart.subpop.com, and select independent stores in North America will receive the Loser edition on Clear with Blue Swirl vinyl. In the UK and Europe, LP preorders through Sub Pop’s new, Mega Mart 2, and UK/EU Independent retailers will receive the Loser edition on Yellow Transparent vinyl.

Iron & Wine is also announcing a North American headlining tour supporting Light Verse, which spans Friday, June 14th in Milwaukee, WI at The Pabst Theatre, and currently runs through Saturday, August 24th in Nashville, TN at The Ryman.

A special fan presale begins Thursday, February 8th at 10 am (local), with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, February 9th at 10 am (local). For regular updates on tickets please visit https://ironandwine.com/tours.

Fri. Jun. 14 – Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theater
Sat. Jun. 15 – St Paul, MN – Palace Theatre
Mon. Jun. 17 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
Tue. Jun. 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
Thu. Jun. 20 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
Fri. Jun. 21 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Sat. Jun. 22 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
Sun. Jun. 23 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Tue. Jun. 25 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Thur. Jun. 27 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre
Fri. Jun. 28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellweather
Sat. Jun. 29 – Los Angeles, CA – The Bellweather
Sun. Jun. 30 – El Cajon, CA – The Magnolia
Tue. Jul. 02 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Wed. Jul. 03 – Taos, NM – Kit Carson Park * (support for Avett Brothers)
Fri. Jul. 05 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
Sat. Jul. 06 – St Louis, MO – The Pageant
Mon. Jul. 08 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed
Wed. Jul. 31 – New Orleans, LA – Orpheum Theater
Thu. Aug. 01 – Houston, TX- White Oak Music Hall
Fri. Aug. 02 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Sat. Aug. 03 – Dallas, TX – Majestic Theatre
Mon. Aug. 05 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
Tue. Aug. 06 – Wilmington, NC – Wilson Center at CFCC
Wed. Aug. 07 – Raleigh, NC – Meymandi Concert Hall
Fri. Aug. 09 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
Sat. Aug. 10 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore Philadelphia
Sun. Aug. 11 – Boston, MA – Roadrunner
Tue. Aug. 13 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
Wed. Aug. 14 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
Fri. Aug. 16 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
Sat. Aug. 17 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
Sun. Aug. 18 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Cathedral Theatre
Tue. Aug. 20 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Thu. Aug. 22 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Fri. Aug. 23 – Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
Sat. Aug. 24 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium