Cut Worms joined by Lemon Twigs on upcoming eponymous album next month; touring this fall

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Cut Worms (aka Max Clarke) presents two new singles — “I’ll Never Make It” b/w “Don’t Fade Out”— ahead of the release of Cut Worms, his new self-titled album out July 21 on Jagjaguwar. 

The singles see Clarke continue his exploration of “pop essentialism.” When writing Cut Worms’ material, Clarke challenged himself to cut any extraneous details, hanging onto the essentials of what makes a song stronger.

Album opener “Don’t Fade Out” — is one of two Cut Worms tracks recorded in Brooklyn by Brian and Michael D’Addario of the Lemon Twigs, who also play piano and bass, respectively, on it. The “I’ll Never Make It” video, sees Clarke crooning across a cloudy carnival — headphones in, worries out.

On July 7, Clarke will begin a residency at Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY. Across three already sold-out shows, he will be joined by comedian Joe Pera, album collaborators the Lemon Twigs, rising star Joanna Sternberg, and Adam Green. Later this fall, Clarke will embark on a North American headline tour, bringing his live set to various cities. Full dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.

Watch Cut Worms’ “I’ll Never Make It” Video

Listen to “Don’t Fade Out”

On Cut Worms, Clarke leaves behind the legendary studio and sought after producers for a more homegrown approach, working with friends and collaborators. As opposed to recording the entire album in one chunk at one studio, Clarke varied his methods. Three of the songs were cut from start to finish in his shared rehearsal space; two others were recorded in Brooklyn by Brian and Michael D’Addorio of the Lemon Twigs, who also played piano and bass, respectively, on these two songs. Further basic tracking was done by Rick Spataro (of Florist) at his Hudson Valley studio, Onlyness Analog, with contributions from the long-standing Cut Worms live band: keyboardist John Andrews, bassist Keven Louis Lareau, and drummer Noah Bond.

Clarke went about overdubbing in his signature fashion, and found himself leaning toward arrangements that translate more easily to a live performance. The success of last year’s self-recorded single, “Dream Most Wild,” gave him the confidence to take on the roles of mixer and producer for the first time on a full-length release.

Pre-order Cut Worms

Watch “Ballad of the Texas King” Video

Tour Dates:

Fri. July 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool * [SOLD OUT]

Fri. July 14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool ^ [SOLD OUT]
Fri. July 21 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool # [SOLD OUT]
Tue. Sept. 5 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar
Wed. Sept. 6 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music House
Fri. Sept. 8 - Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Music Festival
Sat. Sept. 9 - Nashville, TN @ Blue Room at Third Man Records
Mon. Sept. 11 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
Tue. Sept. 12 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Wed. Sept. 13 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Fri. Sept. 15 - Dallas, TX @ Dada
Sat. Sept. 16 - Austin, TX @ The Ballroom
Mon. Sept. 18 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Tue. Sept. 19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Thu. Sept. 21 - Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
Fri. Sept. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Mon. Sept. 25 - Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s at The Crocodile
Tue. Sept. 26 - Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
Wed. Sept. 27 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Fri. Sept. 29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sat. Sept. 30 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Mon. Oct. 2 - Kansas City, MO @ recordBar
Tue. Oct. 3 - Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Wed. Oct. 4 - Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music
Fri. Oct. 6 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
Sun. Oct. 8 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Bling Pig
Mon. Oct. 9 - Toronto, On @ Horseshoe Tavern

* w/ Joe Pera
^ w/ Joanna Sternberg + special appearance by Adam Green
# w/ Air Waves + special appearance by the Lemon Twigs