Today, Priests share the video for their new song, the presciently titled “ Pink White House,” and announce an extensive tour in 2017. The song comes off their forthcoming debut full-length, Nothing Feels Natural, out 1/27 on Sister Polygon Records. Singer Katie Alice Greer had this to say of the song and video:
Lyrically, this is a Priests song I am maybe most proud of to date. I am very inspired by the filmmaker Adam Curtis, the first time I saw “It Felt Like A Kiss” I thought, man, I want to start a band where I can write lyrics the way this guy makes films, like these politically pointed surreal avant-garde narratives, and then I met Daniele and we started Priests. So for me, “Pink White House” is a step towards achieving this style of lyricism. I’m excited about that. Musically we wrote the first half and then were like, “where do we go from here?” We wanted the second half of the song to feel like you’re in a new scene of the story, where “come on palm trees” starts. It was very fun and adventurous for us, writing this way! For the video, I wanted to do something playing on the notion that pop culture repackages your identity and sells it back to you for “entertainment.”
Priests have also announced and extensive tour in 2017 in support of the new record. Don’t miss a chance to see one of the most dynamic and exhilarating bands in the country.
PRIESTS TOUR DATES:
Thu. Nov. 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Broad w/ Rhys Chatham
Sat. Jan. 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Fri. Feb. 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Everybody Hits
Sat. Feb. 4 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
Mon. Feb. 6 – Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo
Tue. Feb. 7 – Toronto ON @ Silver Dollar Room
Wed. Feb. 8 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
Thu. Feb. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Fri. Feb. 10 – Madison, WI @ Rathskeller
Sat. Feb. 11 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. Feb. 15 – Vancouver, BC @ 333
Thu. Feb. 16 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
Fri. Feb. 17 – Portland, OR @ Disjecta
Sat. Feb. 18 – Eugene, OR @ The Boreal
Sun. Feb. 19 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
Mon. Feb. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex
Wed. Feb. 22 – San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe
Thu. Feb. 23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Fri. Feb. 24 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
Sat. Feb. 25 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Mon. Feb. 27 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Tue. Feb. 28 – McAllen, TX @ Yerberia Cultura
Wed. Mar. 1 – Houston TX @ Walter’s
Thu. Mar. 2 – New Orleans LA @ Siberia
Fri. Mar. 3 – Tallahasee, FL @ Wolf’s Den
Sat. Mar. 4 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Sun. Mar. 5 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook
Sat. Mar. 11 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
PRAISE FOR “JJ”
“‘JJ,’ the new song from the excellent Washington punk band Priests…begins with flickers of surf rock, the sort that inspired and also began to suffocate indie-punk circa 2009. But in the hands of this band, the sound gets harsher and less lithe. When the frontwoman Katie Alice Greer begins to sing, it eradicates any ease that style connotes: “I thought I was a cowboy/because I/Smoked Reds! Smoked Reds! Smoked Reds!” And in the video, the band members are filmed up close as their faces are aggressively poked and prodded. It is a siege — surf’s down.” – The New York Times
“Over surfy, shimmying guitars and a twinkling piano, Greer and her elastic growl reflect on bygone self-assurance, days when cigarette brands could work like masks.” Pitchfork [BEST NEW TRACK]
“If 2014’s Bodies And Control And Money And Power EP explored how politics informed the band’s personal lives, then “JJ” dives into the weirdness of the interpersonal — not offering solutions, just asking more questions, which has long been Priests’ M.O. In the melodic mayhem, a “rich kid, low life in a very big jacket” becomes a stream-of-consciousness portrait of human relationships, particularly from a woman’s point of view. Greer doesn’t so much howl and scream but rather growls and coos like Eartha Kitt wound up and snapped into a surrealist punk rage.” – NPR Music [Songs We Love]
“Priests veer hard here into groovy ’50s sock-hop sounds without losing the immediacy that marks them as one of the greatest young DIY bands of this moment.” – Stereogum [5 Best Songs of the Week]
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