CALEXICO have confirmed details for their ninth studio album, shared a new track & announced full European tour dates for later in the year.
 
For the better part of two decades, the acclaimed band Calexico has crossed musical barriers, embracing a multitude of styles, variety in instrumentation, and well-cultivated signature sounds. With their forthcoming record ‘Edge of the Sun’, out April 13th via City Slang, they take inspiration from a trip to a place surprisingly unexplored by the band before in Mexico City, and with the benefit of many friends and comrades to help guide the way.
 
The first outside invitation came when the band’s Joey Burns was writing the track ‘Bullets and Rocks’ and recognized space for a former Calexico collaborator. “When putting vocals on that song, it immediately reminded me of the Iron & Wine feel,” says Burns. “So I texted Sam (Beam), who wrote back quickly and got it going.” 
 
Encouraged by the experience, the guest list grew to include Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Nick Urata (Devotchka), Carla Morrison, Gaby Moreno, Amparo Sanchez, multi-instrumentalists from the Greek band Takim, and Neko Case. Burns’ brother John Burns lent a hand to some lyrics and songwriting, and the band’s keyboardist, Sergio Mendoza, stepped up to co-write and arrange certain songs, ultimately co-producing the album along with Burns, John Convertino, and longtime associate Craig Schumacher. 
 
“Going to another city to jumpstart the creative process helped us to know what this record is about and where we are as a band, like an open canvas with few ties to normal routines when recording and writing,” says Burns. 
 
Negotiating borders and the spaces within, then inviting others inside those edges: may be the recipe for Calexico’s success.  As its empire expands and the familiar pieces join with fresh ideas and a new cohort to pass under wires and across fields and time, the band now finds itself here in 2015 on the solar precipice, navigating the edge and trying to find hope in that balance of darkness and light. 
 
“The ‘edge of the sun’ could be coming from the direction of darkness seeking light, or riding the line between both,” says Burns. “All in all, this album is about pushing through the blue to brighter days. Calexico has always had that element of hope, going back and forth between a positive outlook and embracing desperate or dark themes that I think we all share.”
 
Listen to the first track ‘Cumbia de Donde’: 

 
‘Cumbia de Donde’ is available now digitally and from next week on as a limited edition vinyl 7".
 
'Edge of the Sun' will be available on CD, LP and all digital formats but also as a limited edition 2CD and a very limited edition colored Vinyl 2LP only available from City Slang and at selected Indie-Stores.
 
Pre-order links:
 
City Slang: http://smarturl.it/CalexicoEOTSLabel
Rough Trade: http://smarturl.it/CalexicoEOTS_RT
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/CalexicoEOTSAmazon
iTunes: http://smarturl.it/CalexicoEOTSiTunes
 
Calexico tour dates:
 
April
14 DK Copenhagen - Amager Bio                                                           
15 DE Hamburg - Grosse Freiheit                                   
16 NL Amsterdam - Paradiso                                   
17 NL Eindhoven - Effenaar                       
18 DE Berlin - Heimathafen - SOLD OUT
20 DE Cologne - E Werk           
21 DE Munich - Muffathalle                       
22 CH Zurich - Volkshaus           
23 IT Milan - Fabrique                                   
25 LX Luxembourg - Den Atelier                                               
26 FR Paris - Le Trianon                                   
27 BE Brussels - Ancienne Belgique                                   
28 UK London - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
30 UK Manchester - The Albert Hall      

May
01 UK Liverpool - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
02 UK Belfast - The Limelight                          
03 IR Kilkenny - Kilkenny Roots Festival                       
04 IR Dublin - Olympia Theatre   

June
11 NO Bergen - Bergenfest 2015                                                           
13 NO Oslo - Norwegian Wood Festival      
17 DE Heidelberg, Halle 02
18 DE Ulm, Ulmer Zelt 
19 DE Duisburg - Traumzeit Festival           

November
19 DE Berlin - Columbiahalle