Margaret Glaspy has announced that her third full-length album, Echo the Diamond, will be out on August 18th via ATO. She has also shared the lead single, “Act Natural,” which you can stream below.
Echo the Diamond is a sonic return of sorts to Glaspy’s seminal 2015 debut, Emotions and Math. The new album was co-produced by Glaspy’s partner, guitarist Julian Lage, and was inspired by a conversation the two had, in which she said the title in passing.
“Bruce Lee once said to ‘be water’ — if water is in a teacup, it becomes teacup-shaped; if it’s in a glass, then it takes the shape of that glass,” Glaspy explained in a statement. “For me, Echo the Diamond is a way of saying ‘shine bright, be brilliant.’”
The single, “Act Natural,” captures this brightness, placing Glaspy’s intimate vocals in a guitar-led arrangement with unexpected chords and an open backbeat. Tension builds throughout the verses, and when it comes to a head and Glaspy lets out the line “That can’t be natural,” the release is as euphoric as the spark of new love she’s singing about.
“‘Act Natural’ is about trying to play it cool when you meet someone remarkable,” she said. “I wrote it in the afternoon in the back of a tour bus, and the riff came separately when I got home. It is one of my favorite songs on the record to play live.”
Along with the album announcement and new single, Glaspy also revealed a string of 2023 tour dates. After a run of shows in the United Kingdom opening for Half Moon Run in September, she’ll return stateside, bringing her headlining act across North America until November. Check out the full list of dates below, and grab your tickets here. Watch the music video for the new single “Act Natural” below.
Echo the Diamond follows Glaspy’s 2020 record, Devotion.
Echo the Diamond Artwork:
Margaret Glaspy 2023 Tour Dates:
08/18 – New York, NY @ Rough Trade
09/12 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk ~
09/13 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town ~
09/14 – Bristol, UK @ SWX ~
09/16 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall ~
09/17 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 ~
09/18 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club ~
09/20 – London, UK @ Omeara
09/28 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
09/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
09/30 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
10/02 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe
10/03 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/04 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
10/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
10/07 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
10/08 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo
10/10 – Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man Records
10/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage – Vinyl
10/12 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
10/13 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
10/14 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
10/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
11/01 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s
11/02 – Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co
11/04 – Denver, CO @ Ophelia’s
11/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
11/07 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic
11/09 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s
11/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
11/11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
11/13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
~ = w/ Half Moon Run
