Stephin Merritt Doubles Workload, New Magnetic Fields Album Due In May

Modern-day Irving Berlin Stephin Merritt has announced plans to release a brand new Magnetic Fields record this May. The new album, currently entitled i will see Merritt once again colloborating with his 69 Love Songs pals. The album, the band's first for Nonesuch (home to Laurie Anderson, Compay Segundo, and Wilco) will feature 14 songs all beginning with the letter "i". Merritt sings all the songs on the album and will be accompanied by John Woo, Claudia Gonson, and Sam Davol. The band is also in the planning stages of a summer tour, which will see the foursome fanning across the U.S. in late April, May, June, and July in support of i.

Merritt will also present his second colloboration with Chinese theatre director Shi-Zeng Chen. The two double-teamed last year for "The Orphan of Zhao," which debuted at New York's Lincoln Center Festival. This time around, the duo will present an opera entitled "The Peach Blossom Fan," which will premiere at LA's Red Cat Theater and will run April 11-25.

For more info check out http://www.redcat.org as well as Merritt's official newspage over at http://www.houseoftomorrow.com.

In May, the Magnetic Fields will release their new album on Nonesuch Records. The album title is "i." It will have 14 new Stephin Merritt recordings, all starting with the letter i. The songs are sung by Stephin and accompanied by the four-piece band, John Woo (banjo and guitar), Sam Davol (cello) and Claudia Gonson (piano and percussion). The band plans to tour select dates around the US during May, June and July, and will post dates when available.

Originally posted by Hiro11
This is terrific! I wondered when their (his?) next album was coming out.

I still break out 69 Love Songs and Charm of the Highway Strip monthly. They both just get better the more you listen to them.