Ibibio Sound Machine cover “Color in Your Cheeks” and join the conversation along with Mac McCaughan on I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats

Season one of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats—a conversation series featuring Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn’t Dead creator Joseph Fink and New York Times best-selling author John Darnielle, who is also the founder, lead singer, and songwriter of the Mountain Goats—is underway, with episode three of the podcast premiering today! The latest episode features a beautiful rendition of“Color in Your Cheeks” by Merge artist Ibibio Sound Machine. Eno and Max from the band join Darnielle and Fink along with special guest Mac McCaughan of Superchunk to discuss immigration and refugees—the subject of “Color in Your Cheeks” and issues that are crucial to this moment in American history. As deeply political people, Darnielle and Fink also share their opinions on whether artists through their works have a responsibility to respond to politics and the events they bring about.

Listen to & share "Color in Your Cheeks" as well as the corresponding episode of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats now!

On April 6, 2018, Merge Records will release I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texas, a double-LP compiling the All Hail West Texas covers that will be unveiled during the first season of I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats. Each song will be released as a digital single when the corresponding podcast episode is broadcast. Catch up on the podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, and Night Vale Presents where you can hear Laura Jane Grace’s cover of “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” and Loamlands’ cover of “Fall of the Star High School Running Back.”

 Pre-order I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats: All Hail West Texas now in the Merge store (where you can also find it bundled with the original album). This special double-vinyl release will contain two LPs, one pink and one blue. All pre-orders will include an “I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats” patch, and 50 pre-orders chosen at random will receive a copy of the album signed by John Darnielle.

In January, London’s Ibibio Sound Machine released their Merge debut Uyai, which the New York Times declared “an album full of positive-thinking songs and deep, inventive grooves that hotwire decades of African, European and American music.” Look for Ibibio Sound Machine on tour in North America next spring.

Superchunk recently released two new benefit singles: “I Got Cut” b/w “Up Against the Wall” to benefit Planned Parenthood, and “Break the Glass” b/w “Mad World” to benefit the Southern Poverty Law Center. The band has also announced a run of tour dates around the Noise Pop Festival in February.

The Mountain Goats on tour:
Nov 06 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Nov 07 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Nov 08 Northampton, MA – Calvin Theatre
Nov 10 Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall
Nov 11 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Nov 12 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
Nov 13 Boston, MA – House of Blues
Nov 15 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Nov 16 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Nov 17 Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
Nov 18 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Dec 02 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
Dec 03 Charleston, WV – Mountain Stage
Dec 04 Rocky Mount, VA – Harvester Performance Center
Dec 05 Richmond, VA – The National
Dec 06 Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre
Dec 14 Portland, OR – Holocene
Feb 26 Mobile, AL – Laidlaw Performing Arts Center