Hand Habits – Bluebird of Happiness
Hand Habits releases “Bluebird of Happiness,” the final single from their forthcoming album Blue Reminder, out this Friday, August 22nd via Fat Possum Records.
“One day my partner asked what birdsong we were hearing through the window and I was like, ’well that’s the bluebird of happiness obviously,’ and it became a joke song I would sing around the house, but then it grew wings.” Meg Duffy explains. “I also got curious about the history of the bluebird of happiness, and found that it has mythological significance. It’s interesting how a symbol like that functions subconsciously, or in the collective unconscious. Even when we might not know everything about its origins, or when it’s almost become a pop cliche, maybe there’s some essence or a through-line that can remain true. Or the cliche itself can become material to play with. And I think because I can have an aversion to sentimentality in my songwriting, it felt exciting and fun to go there. And it does feel like such a hopeful song to me, though this bluebird has definitely seen some things, which is reflected in the production too.”
Recorded in Los Angeles by Phil Hartunian with co-producer Joseph Lorge, Blue Reminder finds multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Meg Duffy, once again collaborating with an impressive coterie of musicians, including Alan Wyffels, Gregory Uhlmann, Olivia Kaplan, Blake Mills, Tim Carr, Daniel Aged, and Joshua Johnson and Anna Butterss of SML. Having spent a big part of the last decade on the road, both as a solo artist and as a touring member of Perfume Genius, Duffy’s affinity for playing live in a room with other musicians was the impetus for the record, which was largely tracked live.
The album’s previously released singles “Wheel of Change,” “Jasmine Blossoms,” and “Dead Rat” have garnered praise.
Hand Habits will be touring North America in support of Blue Reminder this fall. The tour also includes dates with Japanese Breakfast and Perfume Genius.
Tour Dates:
08/21 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s ~
08/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ 2220
08/25 – Petaluma, CA @ The Lagunitas Brewing Company ~
09/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records ^
09/20 – New York, NY @ Nightclub 101 &
09/21 – Washington, DC @ DC9 &
09/23 – Albany, NY @ Lark Hall &
09/24 – Montreal, QC @ POP MONTREAL
09/26 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Garage &
09/27 – Ferndale, MI @ Magic Bag &
09/28 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle &
09/30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Andy Warhol Museum &
10/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s &
10/15 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel #
10/17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios #
10/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret #
10/21 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern #
10/23 – Healdsburg, CA @ Little Saint #
10/30 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon *
11/03 – Berlin, DE @ Astra Kulturhaus *
11/04 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo Club *
11/05 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso *
11/07 – Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall *
11/08 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 TV Studio *
11/09 – Leeds, UK @ Project House *
11/11 – London, UK @ Roundhouse *
11/12 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity Centre *
11/13 – Dublin, IE @ The National Stadium *
~ supporting Japanese Breakfast
^ with More Eaze
& with Fashion Club
# with Olivia Kaplan
* supporting Perfume Genius
#hand.habits