Natalie Merchant’s First Album of New Songs in Nearly a Decade, 'Keep Your Courage,' Out Now on Nonesuch

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Natalie Merchant's new album, Keep Your Courage, is out now on Nonesuch Records. Produced by Merchant, the new LP is her ninth solo studio album, and the first of all-new material since 2014’s self-titled record. Keep Your Courage "has some of Merchant’s best songwriting," says the AP. NPR says: "That lush, layered contralto voice can belong to only one person." Mojo calls it "her most beautiful in decades." "Welcome return of a unique voice,” says Uncut. “An album contemplating what it is that keeps us plodding forwards despite everything. Merchant’s conclusion is, as always, wittily expressed and beautifully sung.” Merchant kicks off an extensive tour in Poughkeepsie, NY, tonight.

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Natalie Merchant's new album, Keep Your Courage, is out now on Nonesuch Records. You can buy the album and hear it here. Produced by Merchant, the new LP is the artist’s ninth solo studio album, and the first of all-new material since 2014’s self-titled record. Keep Your Courage has already received critical acclaim, with the Associated Press saying it “has some of Merchant’s best songwriting, with melodies that veer from Gaelic to Middle Eastern, delving into horn-driven soul, melancholy ballads, pure pop and defiant sisterhood anthems,” among others. You can take a quick look inside the album here:

“That lush, layered contralto voice can belong to only one person,” says NPR. The New Yorker says: “Her passion is for forgotten people, problems, and sounds.”

Keep Your Courage is her first of all-new material in nine years,” says Mojo in its four-star review. “It’s also her most beautiful in decades.”

“Welcome return of a unique voice,” says Uncut. “Merchant’s first complete album of original material in nearly a decade is ... an album contemplating what it is that keeps us plodding forwards despite everything. Merchant’s conclusion is, as always, wittily expressed and beautifully sung.”

Through its ten songs, Merchant explores themes of love and passion as essential to the human experience: “For the Greeks, when the spirit of love descended, it was seen as a kind of assault; you would become powerless against an all-consuming, sweet madness,” she says. “Amazingly, humans still crave it, in spite of the perils.”

The record’s lead single “Big Girls” is out now, joining the previously released “Tower of Babel” and “Come On, Aphrodite” featuring Abena Koomson-Davis (Resistance Revival Chorus).

Keep Your Courage features additional contributions from Celtic folk group Lúnasa, Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are lush orchestrations by seven composers throughout, including: Gabriel Kahane, Stephen Barber, Colin Jacobsen, and Megan Gould. The new record comprises nine original songs by Merchant as well as an interpretation of “Hunting the Wren” by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum. The vinyl LP edition includes four bonus tracks from earlier albums, previously unreleased on vinyl.

Merchant writes in her album’s liner notes: “The songs contained within this album were written and recorded during the pandemic ... a period of great flux and fear on every level ... but this is not an album about the coronavirus or the chaos it caused. For the most part, this is an album about the human heart.” She continues, “The word ‘courage’ has its root in the Latin word for heart, cor, and we see it over and over in many languages: le coeur, il cuore, o coração, el corazón. This is a song cycle that maps the journey of a courageous heart.”

In celebration of the new music, Merchant embarks on an extensive headlining tour that kicks off tonight in Poughkeepsie, New York. Merchant will perform on stages across the world, including several appearances with local symphony orchestras. See below for details and tickets, and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

Over her forty-year career Natalie Merchant has attained a place among America’s most respected recording artists. She has earned a reputation for being a songwriter of quality and a captivating stage performer and has distinguished herself as a social justice and environmental activist. Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the pop music band 10,000 Maniacs and released one platinum, two double-platinum, and one triple-platinum records with the group: The Wishing Chair (1985), In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), Hope Chest (1990), Our Time in Eden (1992), and 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged (1993). Merchant left the group in 1994 and has subsequently released nine albums as a solo artist with combined sales of seven million copies: Tigerlily (1995), Ophelia (1998), Natalie Merchant Live (1999), Motherland (2001), The House Carpenter’s Daughter (2003), Leave Your Sleep (2010), Natalie Merchant (2014), Paradise Is There (2015), and Butterfly (2017).

Merchant has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Billy Bragg, Gavin Bryars, David Byrne, The Chieftains, Cowboy Junkies, Philip Glass, Kronos Quartet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mavis Staples, REM, and Wilco. She served on the New York State Council on the Arts from 2007 to 2011 at the appointment of Governor Elliot Spitzer and was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center by New York State Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Merchant’s awards include: The Library Lion Award from the New York Public Library (2011), The American Society of Authors Composers & Publishers (ASCAP) Champion Award, and The John Lennon Real Love Award. More information about Merchant’s career and philanthropic work may be found here.

NATALIE MERCHANT ON TOUR

Apr 15&16 Bardavon, 1869 Opera House (Sold Out) Poughkeepsie, NY
Apr 18 Byham Theater Pittsburgh, PA
Apr 19 Paramount Theater (Sold Out) Charlottesville, VA
Apr 21 Kimmel Cultural Campus Philadelphia, PA
Apr 22 Hershey Theatre Hershey, PA
Apr 24 Peace Center Concert Hall Greenville, SC
Apr 26 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL
Apr 27 Broward Center for the Performing Arts* Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Apr 28 Saint Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, FL
Apr 30 Atlanta Symphony Hall* (Sold Out) Atlanta, GA
May 9 Merrill Auditorium Portland, ME
May 10 Emerson Colonial Theatre (Sold Out) Boston, MA
May 13 Keybank State Theatre Cleveland, OH
May 14 Taft Theatre Cincinnati, OH
May 16 The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts (Sold Out) Carmel, IN
May 17 Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
May 19 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL
May 20 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
Jun 2&3 Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center* New York, NY
Jun 25 NJPAC* Newark, NJ
Jun 28 Veterans Memorial Auditorium* Providence, RI
Jun 30, Jul 1 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts* Washington, DC
Jul 8 Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater* Chautauqua, NY
     
Sep 20 Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox Spokane, WA
Sep 22 Chateau Ste Michelle Amphitheatre Woodinvale, WA
Sep 23 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
Sep 26 The Masonic San Francisco, CA
Sep 27 Mountain Winery Amphitheater Saratoga, CA
Sep 29 Humphrey's San Diego, CA
Sep 30 Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles, CA
     
Nov 2 London Palladium London, UK
Nov 3 London Palladium London, UK
Nov 5 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, UK
Nov 6 O2 Apollo Manchester Manchester, UK
Nov 8 Olympia Dublin, IRELAND
Nov 11 The Forum Bath, UK
Nov 13 Carré Theatre Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Nov 14 Cirque Royal Brussels, BELGIUM
     

* w/symphony orchestra

featuredimage
Natalie Merchant: 'Keep Your Courage' [cover]
  • Friday, April 14, 2023
    Natalie Merchant’s First Album of New Songs in Nearly a Decade, 'Keep Your Courage,' Out Now on Nonesuch

    Natalie Merchant's new album, Keep Your Courage, is out now on Nonesuch Records. You can buy the album and hear it here. Produced by Merchant, the new LP is the artist’s ninth solo studio album, and the first of all-new material since 2014’s self-titled record. Keep Your Courage has already received critical acclaim, with the Associated Press saying it “has some of Merchant’s best songwriting, with melodies that veer from Gaelic to Middle Eastern, delving into horn-driven soul, melancholy ballads, pure pop and defiant sisterhood anthems,” among others. You can take a quick look inside the album here:

    “That lush, layered contralto voice can belong to only one person,” says NPR. The New Yorker says: “Her passion is for forgotten people, problems, and sounds.”

    Keep Your Courage is her first of all-new material in nine years,” says Mojo in its four-star review. “It’s also her most beautiful in decades.”

    “Welcome return of a unique voice,” says Uncut. “Merchant’s first complete album of original material in nearly a decade is ... an album contemplating what it is that keeps us plodding forwards despite everything. Merchant’s conclusion is, as always, wittily expressed and beautifully sung.”

    Through its ten songs, Merchant explores themes of love and passion as essential to the human experience: “For the Greeks, when the spirit of love descended, it was seen as a kind of assault; you would become powerless against an all-consuming, sweet madness,” she says. “Amazingly, humans still crave it, in spite of the perils.”

    The record’s lead single “Big Girls” is out now, joining the previously released “Tower of Babel” and “Come On, Aphrodite” featuring Abena Koomson-Davis (Resistance Revival Chorus).

    Keep Your Courage features additional contributions from Celtic folk group Lúnasa, Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are lush orchestrations by seven composers throughout, including: Gabriel Kahane, Stephen Barber, Colin Jacobsen, and Megan Gould. The new record comprises nine original songs by Merchant as well as an interpretation of “Hunting the Wren” by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum. The vinyl LP edition includes four bonus tracks from earlier albums, previously unreleased on vinyl.

    Merchant writes in her album’s liner notes: “The songs contained within this album were written and recorded during the pandemic ... a period of great flux and fear on every level ... but this is not an album about the coronavirus or the chaos it caused. For the most part, this is an album about the human heart.” She continues, “The word ‘courage’ has its root in the Latin word for heart, cor, and we see it over and over in many languages: le coeur, il cuore, o coração, el corazón. This is a song cycle that maps the journey of a courageous heart.”

    In celebration of the new music, Merchant embarks on an extensive headlining tour that kicks off tonight in Poughkeepsie, New York. Merchant will perform on stages across the world, including several appearances with local symphony orchestras. See below for details and tickets, and visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

    Over her forty-year career Natalie Merchant has attained a place among America’s most respected recording artists. She has earned a reputation for being a songwriter of quality and a captivating stage performer and has distinguished herself as a social justice and environmental activist. Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the pop music band 10,000 Maniacs and released one platinum, two double-platinum, and one triple-platinum records with the group: The Wishing Chair (1985), In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), Hope Chest (1990), Our Time in Eden (1992), and 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged (1993). Merchant left the group in 1994 and has subsequently released nine albums as a solo artist with combined sales of seven million copies: Tigerlily (1995), Ophelia (1998), Natalie Merchant Live (1999), Motherland (2001), The House Carpenter’s Daughter (2003), Leave Your Sleep (2010), Natalie Merchant (2014), Paradise Is There (2015), and Butterfly (2017).

    Merchant has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Billy Bragg, Gavin Bryars, David Byrne, The Chieftains, Cowboy Junkies, Philip Glass, Kronos Quartet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mavis Staples, REM, and Wilco. She served on the New York State Council on the Arts from 2007 to 2011 at the appointment of Governor Elliot Spitzer and was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center by New York State Senator and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Merchant’s awards include: The Library Lion Award from the New York Public Library (2011), The American Society of Authors Composers & Publishers (ASCAP) Champion Award, and The John Lennon Real Love Award. More information about Merchant’s career and philanthropic work may be found here.

    NATALIE MERCHANT ON TOUR

    Apr 15&16 Bardavon, 1869 Opera House (Sold Out) Poughkeepsie, NY
    Apr 18 Byham Theater Pittsburgh, PA
    Apr 19 Paramount Theater (Sold Out) Charlottesville, VA
    Apr 21 Kimmel Cultural Campus Philadelphia, PA
    Apr 22 Hershey Theatre Hershey, PA
    Apr 24 Peace Center Concert Hall Greenville, SC
    Apr 26 Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL
    Apr 27 Broward Center for the Performing Arts* Ft. Lauderdale, FL
    Apr 28 Saint Augustine Amphitheatre St. Augustine, FL
    Apr 30 Atlanta Symphony Hall* (Sold Out) Atlanta, GA
    May 9 Merrill Auditorium Portland, ME
    May 10 Emerson Colonial Theatre (Sold Out) Boston, MA
    May 13 Keybank State Theatre Cleveland, OH
    May 14 Taft Theatre Cincinnati, OH
    May 16 The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts (Sold Out) Carmel, IN
    May 17 Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
    May 19 Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL
    May 20 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
    Jun 2&3 Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center* New York, NY
    Jun 25 NJPAC* Newark, NJ
    Jun 28 Veterans Memorial Auditorium* Providence, RI
    Jun 30, Jul 1 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts* Washington, DC
    Jul 8 Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater* Chautauqua, NY
         
    Sep 20 Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox Spokane, WA
    Sep 22 Chateau Ste Michelle Amphitheatre Woodinvale, WA
    Sep 23 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
    Sep 26 The Masonic San Francisco, CA
    Sep 27 Mountain Winery Amphitheater Saratoga, CA
    Sep 29 Humphrey's San Diego, CA
    Sep 30 Walt Disney Concert Hall Los Angeles, CA
         
    Nov 2 London Palladium London, UK
    Nov 3 London Palladium London, UK
    Nov 5 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, UK
    Nov 6 O2 Apollo Manchester Manchester, UK
    Nov 8 Olympia Dublin, IRELAND
    Nov 11 The Forum Bath, UK
    Nov 13 Carré Theatre Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
    Nov 14 Cirque Royal Brussels, BELGIUM
         

    * w/symphony orchestra

    Journal Articles:Album ReleaseArtist News

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