Beirut is back with “The Tern,” a new look at his upcoming album Hadsel. Listen to the track below.
Thanks to a buzzing synth line and Zach Condon’s operatic vocals, “The Tern” feels like a new age hymn of sorts. The artist explained how he wrote the song in a statement, from its electronic instrumental to its “It’s not so easy” refrain.
“The base of this song comes from an old Roland synthesizer and drum machine part which I had lying around from a previous Berlin session,” Condon shared. “The lyrics I improvised on the spot and finished the song off by adding layers of church organs and hand percussion. I stacked the parts high despite always being afraid of overdoing it. In the end I was confused how I had written such a seemingly positive and even hopeful song, but once I took a closer look at the lyrics, I saw the real nature of the hidden defeat and triumph of caution rather than of hope.”
Along with the new single, Beirut has also announced two shows in his home of Berlin, which he’s shared will be the only performances he’s got on the books for Hadsel. Set for February 16th and 17th at Tempodrom, Condon will be joined on stage by pianist Aaron Arntz, trombone/sousaphone/piano player Ben Lanz, cellist Clarice Jensen, bassist Griffin Rodriguez, trumpeter Kyle Resnick, drummer Nick Petree, and violinist Yuki Numata. Tickets to the concerts go on sale Friday, October 13th at 4:00 a.m. ET.
Hadsel, the follow-up to 2019’s Gallipoli, is out November 10th. Beirut previously shared the album’s lead single, “So Many Plans.”
Beirut 2024 Tour Dates:
02/16 — Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
02/17 — Berlin, DE @ Tempodrom
