"Folks, there's a new Velvet Crush record coming out August 10th called Stereo Blues [on Action Musik], and although I'm probably a little biased, I think it's one of the best things we've ever done. Adam Schmitt co-produced it with us, and we recorded it in his studio, located in the warehouse behind the Parasol corporate headquarters in Urbana, Illinois. The sessions were spread out over a two-year period, and a lot of incredible musicians came by to play. When we started there were snakes on the roof and pots and pans all over the floor (to catch the spillage when it rained), and i remember having to thoroughly clean the bathroom at least once (apparently, selling records is more important than wiping around the sink every once in awhile). The intention going in was to make a loud rock'n'roll record similar to the ones we'd made earlier in our career, yet somehow during the process we also managed to push the boundaries of what we're capable of stylistically a little further forward, which is always good when you're trying to stay fresh as an artist. Paul's lyrics are especially potent. He's had a rough couple of years personally, and a lot of his pain and frustration got channeled into the music. In fact, I came up with the name Stereo Blues for the album because I thought it accurately captured the essence of how Paul was feeling during the writing and recording process, and because in a very honest way it describes the sort of aural experience we've always been going for -- something deep, honest and very soulful. In our campaign to spread the word about this record, we're organizing a tour, our first in over 6 years. Fortunately, we're doing it with our good friend Matthew Sweet, not as an opening act, but as a musical interlude in the middle of his set. Luckily, Matthew will actually be a part of our band, sharing guitar duties with long time member Peter Phillips while Paul steps up to sing. So, if you come to the shows you'll get two hours of music, and tons of Matthew's material as well as ours. It's going to be very exciting. The first dates are booked for Japan at the end of August. In early September we're playing the Azkena Festival in Spain and doing a very rare club appearance in London at the Mean Fiddler. We'll do American dates either in the autumn or early next year (or both), and we'd love to see everyone at the shows!"
-Ric Menck/Velvet Crush