Black Belt Eagle Scout – 7th Level Music

Black Belt Eagle Scout takes us into new “Spaces” with her latest single.

Black Belt Eagle Scout, the project of Swinomish musician Katherine Paul, presents a new single/video, “Spaces,” and announces a spring North American tour leading into the release of The Land, The Water, The Sky, out next Friday, February 10th via Saddle Creek. Rolling Stone hailed it as “fiery, brilliant,” stating, “with each song, you can feel the weight of an entire community behind her.”

“Spaces” is a song about healing that surges with electric guitar, violin, Paul’s hushed vocals, and features contributions from her parents. Her father is also in the very special accompanying video, directed by Evan Benally Atwood and Morningstar Angeline, and originally conceptualized by Quinn Christopherson.

“I wrote ‘Spaces’ for an audience as a way to sing melodies of healing and care for them,” says Paul. “Since starting Black Belt Eagle Scout, I have moved through many spaces, playing shows for crowds of people. I can’t always connect one on one with everyone and so this song is an attempt to bring my feelings of appreciation I have for everyone who supports my music to life. My parents lend their voices in the chorus melody, my dad with his strong pow wow voice and my mom with her wholesome tone that sounds so similar to mine you can barely notice the distinction between me and her. I want this song to be an offering for those who need to grasp onto something and feel because through feeling and being together, there is healing.”

Paul continues, “It was incredible to incorporate my family trade of carving within the music video. My dad has been carving Coast Salish style art for over 50 years. I grew up around it and learned how to carve and paint when I was a teenager. This video shows a creation process and the kind of intimacy we give to our art. In the video, we carve an eagle out of yellow cedar. The eagle is representative of strength and guidance.” To learn more about K Paul’s Carvings, click here.

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s Video for “Spaces”

In Paul’s words, “I created The Land, The Water, The Sky to record and reflect upon my journey back to my homelands and the challenges and the happiness it brought.” Paul found herself far from her ancestral lands during a time of collective trauma, when the world was wounded and in need of healing. In 2020 she made the journey from Portland back to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. There is a throughline of story in every song on The Land, The Water, The Sky, a remembrance of knowledge and teachings, a gratitude of wisdom passed down and carried. There are moments of frustration over a world wrought with colonial violence and pain, and the presence of joy, a fierce blissfulness that comes with walking the trails along the river, feeling the sand and the stones beneath her feet. It is the pride and the certainty that comes with knowing her ancestors walked along the same land, dipped their hands into the water, and ran their fingertips along the same bark of cedar trees. Even in its most melancholy moments it is never despairing. That is the beauty of returning home.

This month, Black Belt Eagle Scout will play select shows across the Pacific Northwest. Following, she’ll tour across Europe for the first time before returning stateside for a month of shows. Tickets for newly-announced dates will be available via pre-sale February 6th – 10th, with general on sale running congruent to album release day. A portion of presale ticket proceeds will go to Potlatch Fund, a Native-led nonprofit organization formed in 2002 that provides grants and leadership development to Tribal Nations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. A full list of dates can be found below.

Watch the “My Blood Runs Through This Land” Video

Watch the “Don’t Give Up” Visualizer

Watch the “Nobody” Video

Pre-order The Land, The Water, The Sky

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
(new dates in bold)
Wed. Feb. 15 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Fri. Feb. 24 – Manchester, UK @ Night & Day
Sat. Feb. 25 – London, UK @ Moth Club
Mon. Feb. 27 – Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up
Tue. Feb. 28 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique – Witloof Bar
Wed. March 1 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Upstairs
Thu. March 2 – Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade
Sat. March 4 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
Sun. March 5 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. Mar 31 – Eugene, OR @ Soreng Theater
Sat. Apr. 1 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You Lounge*
Sun. Apr. 2 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux*
Mon. Apr. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The DLC at Quarters*
Tue. Apr. 4 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*
Thu. Apr. 6 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival
Fri. Apr. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center*
Sat. Apr. 8 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean*
April 11 – Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern*
Wed. Apr. 12 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le “Ritz” P.D.B.*
Fri. Apr. 14 – Cambridge, MA @ Elk’s Club*
Sat. Apr. 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right*
Mon. Apr. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s*
Tue. Apr. 18 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd*
Wed. Apr. 19 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook*
Thu. Apr. 20 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor*
Fri. Apr. 21 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club*
Sat. Apr. 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa*
Mon. Apr. 24 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger*
Tue. Apr. 25 – Austin, TX @ The Parish*
Thu. Apr. 27 – Norman, OK @ Norman Music Festival
Fri. Apr. 28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister*
Mon. May 1 – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground at The Nile Theater
Tue. May 2 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah*
Thu. May 4 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo*
Fri. May 5 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s*
Sat. May 6 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop*
Mon. May 8 – Tacoma, WA @ ALMA*

*with support from Claire Glass and Adobo

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[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Black Belt Eagle Scout announces North American tour and new single.

“Encased in swirls of dream-pop production, [At the Party With My Brown Friends] represents a softer, more subtle sort of resistance.” — NPR Music

“Paul is free, so long as she sings, to draw no lines around who she is and what she loves. . . She makes no apologies, feels no inadequacy. Over the course of [At the Party With My Brown Friends], this near-hour spent in the presence of the people she loves, she is reminded that she is equal to any challenge which may befall her.” — Pitchfork

“Throughout [At the Party With My Brown Friends], her voice cascades gently, acting not just as a carrying case for emotion, but as a soothing instrument in itself. It’s a transformation that makes Black Belt Eagle Scout sound more assured and driven, building off last year’s breakout moment.” — The AV Club

Black Belt Eagle Scout – moniker of Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – announces a North American tour and releases a video for “I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song,” off last year’s At the Party With My Brown Friends. As described by Paul, the song “is about an initial thought that you don’t think will come to fruition, but for whatever circumstances, does. It’s about that kind of craving emotion within oneself that just turns up and has to come out of you no matter what.”

Its animated video was edited and directed by Chantal Jung (Inujuk Nunatsiavutimi), and is meant to raise awareness of the Alaskan coastline and its deep connection with Indigenous people and animals. “The video features Northern imagery that shows aspects of Inuit life, including cloudberry picking, animal relatives and Arctic landscapes,” describes Jung. “People often forget that our livelihoods are extremely connected to the environment, including the animals and plants that live among us. This video is meant to bring awareness of the land, the animals and the people who protect the land.”

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song” Video –
https://youtu.be/cjijLjG-ZKA

Black Belt Eagle Scout will tour North America and Europe this spring. She’ll play many cities not yet visited in support of At the Party With My Brown Friends. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale this Friday, February 7th at 10:00AM local time.

Stream/Purchase At the Party With My Brown Friends
https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Watch/Listen:
“At the Party” stream – https://youtu.be/gk3FLRe4tAM
“My Heart Dreams” video – https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw
“Run It To Ya” video – https://youtu.be/fYIC6WNweKg

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
Sat. Feb. 22 – Austin, TX @ OUTsider @ The Vortex
Tue. Feb. 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox (w/ Death Cab for Cutie)
Wed. Feb. 26 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown
Thu. Feb. 27 – Anacortes, WA @ The Business
Fri. Feb. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
Sat. Feb. 29 – Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar
Thu. March 26 – Calgary, AB @ The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club
Fri. March 27 – Edmonton, AB @ The Rec Room
Sat. March 28 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina
Tue. March 31 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Wed. April 1 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival @ The Mill
Fri. April 3 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
Sat. April 4 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Sun. April 5 – Tallahassee, FL @ Word of South Festival (solo)
Tue. April 7 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s
Wed. April 8 – Toronto, ON @ The Monarch
Thu. April 9 – Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW
Fri. April 10 – Montreal, QB @ L’esco
Sat. April 11 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace
Sun. April 12 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Mon. April 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Tue. April 14 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Thu. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ BRIC House
Fri. April 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Sat. April 18 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
Sun. April 19 – Columbia, MO @ Café Berlin
Tue. April 21 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Wed. April 22 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Colorado College
Fri. April 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Mon. May 18 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel
Tue. May 19 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
Thu. May 21 – Utrecht, NL @ Brewpub De Kromme Haring
Fri. May 22 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Sat. May 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
Sun. May 24 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club
Mon. May 25 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
Tue. May 26 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Wed. May 27 – London, UK @ Colours
Fri. May 29 – Heidelberg, DE @ Queerfestival @ Karlstorbahnof
Sat. May 30 – Brussels, BE @ Witloof Bar

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Black Belt Eagle Scout goes to prom with her new single “Run It to Ya.”

“Black Belt Eagle Scout…is one of my favorite indiepop songwriters of late, in the vein of Palehound or Jay Som—tight, soft vocals placed high in the mix, competing with and complimenting an anxious guitar riff.” – Jezebel

“[At The Party With My Brown Friends] highlight Paul’s vocals more than they do her guitar work—she still knows how to shred, but there’s a pronounced confidence in vocal-forward tracks” – The AV Club

“[‘My Heart Dreams’] features Paul’s signature delicate vocals, fervent guitar playing and romantic, poignant lyricism.” – Paste

Black Belt Eagle Scout – the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – presents a video for “Run It to Ya,” the final pre-release single from her new album, At the Party With My Brown Friends. Following “My Heart Dreams” and “At the Party,” “Run It to Ya” is about the gentleness of love and how wondrous it can feel at times from the point of view of a queer Indigenous womxn. The video was directed by Evan James Benally Atwood.

“It felt natural for the ‘Run It to Ya’ music video to star queer indigenous womxn and show their love story unfold. The setting is a queer Indigenous prom, a space where we can truly be ourselves without the ridicules of white settler colonialism. It’s a realm where we can reimagine what our lives look like as queer Indigenous people; what is normally a heteronormative space turns into a magical place where people have the freedom to safely love how they choose.

“Throughout my work, I intend to show the thriving lives of Indigenous people, and how we are often excluded from mainstream rock music and the media. This exclusion is detrimental to our health and our existence. I am trying to show what my life is like so that other people can see how we have the right to thrive in this world and have the ability to decolonize.”

Where her 2018 debut, Mother of My Children, was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of Paul’s standing as a radical Indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Paul’s beautifully singular artistic vision.

Black Belt Eagle Scout was named a favorite new artist of 2018 by NPR Music, Stereogum, Paste and Under The Radar, and Pitchfork named her debut a Best Rock Album of 2018. She will continue to tour extensively, playing headline dates this fall before supporting Devendra Banhart later this year.

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Run It to Ya” video – https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Listen to “At the Party” – https://youtu.be/gk3FLRe4tAM

Watch “My Heart Dreams” video https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw

Pre-order At the Party With My Brown Friends https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Black Belt Eagle Scout tour dates: Sat. Sept. 7 – Sun. Sept. 8 – Portland, OR @ XOXO Fest Mon. Oct. 21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Thu. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Wed. Oct. 30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater * Fri. Nov. 1 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * Sat. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * Sun. Nov. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Tue. Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone * Wed. Nov. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam Thu. Nov. 7 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse Fri. Nov. 8 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 Sat. Nov. 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records Sun. Nov. 10 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Thu. Nov. 12 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Wed. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord Thu. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar Fri. Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA @ Ché Café Sat. Nov. 16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Sun. Nov. 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Tue. Nov. 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Wed. Nov. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Fri. Nov. 22 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry Sun. Nov. 24 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Tue. Nov. 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Wed. Nov. 27 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Sat. Nov. 30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit * Sun. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall * Tue. Dec. 3 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia * Wed. Dec. 4 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre * Thu. Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * Sat. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Sun. Dec. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * *= w/ Devendra Banhart

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Black Belt Eagle Scout presents “My Heart Dreams” and announces North American tour.

“‘At the Party,’ finds a slice of solace in navigating the human experience with similarly marginalized friends by her side. Here, ‘the party’ is the crooked world Paul journeys in solidarity with her fellow POC; together, they make the best of life’s wayward turns.” – Pitchfork

“Katherine Paul delivers hums and oooh’s that melt into the mellow drums, creating a foggy, subdued mesh of pretty sounds.” – FADER on “At the Party”

“[‘At the Party’] is an astounding reverb-soaked number with sprawling guitars that track up and down the length of the neck as Paul easily transitions between near-whispered verses and heady falsetto choruses.” – UPROXX

Black Belt Eagle Scout – the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – presents a new single / video, “My Heart Dreams,” from her forthcoming album, At the Party With My Brown Friends, due August 30th via Saddle Creek. In conjunction, she announces a headline North American tour. “My Heart Dreams” follows lead single “At the Party.” Written in Ohlone land during a transitional part of Paul’s life, “My Heart Dreams” expresses a consuming desire to find new love in the midst of heartbreak. The accompanying video, filmed by Angel Two Bulls and co-directed by Angel and Paul, depicts Paul wandering amongst the Portland Pride parade, the scene eventually turning into a live performance.

“The idea behind this video was to do something fun while showing the resilience of the Indigenous people, particularly women and girls, which is why I chose to have the Black Belt Eagle Scout band be portrayed by young Indigenous girls.” describes Paul. “In an age where Missing and Murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) are finally getting the attention they deserve, it’s important to make their strength visible. The justice around MMIW is something we should all be paying closer attention to and I hope my platform serves to heighten awareness. The girls and extras in the video are members of the Portland Two Spirit Society, a special group of LGBTQ Indigenous and Native American/Alaska Natives and the Portland All Nations Canoe Family.”

Where her 2018 debut, Mother of My Children, was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of Paul’s standing as a radical indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Paul’s beautifully singular artistic vision.

Black Belt Eagle Scout was named a favorite new artist of 2018 by NPR Music, Stereogum, Paste and Under The Radar. She will continue to tour extensively, playing Sled Island, Newport Folk Festival, and Pickathon this summer before embarking on a headlining North American tour. Then, she will support Devendra Banhart on tour later this fall. Tickets are on sale now. One dollar from every ticket sold through presale will be donated to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. All dates can be found below.

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “My Heart Dreams” Video https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw

Listen to “At the Party” https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Pre-order At the Party With My Brown Friends https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Black Belt Eagle Scout tour dates: Thu. Aug. 1 – Seattle, WA @ ARTS at King Street Station Fri. Aug. 2 & Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Wed. Aug. 21 – Victoria, BC @ Bastion Square Parkade Thu. Aug. 22 – Seattle, WA @ Olympic Sculpture Hall Sun. Aug. 25 – Port Townsend, WA @ Thing Mon. Oct. 21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Thu. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Wed. Oct. 30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater * Fri. Nov. 1 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * Sat. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * Sun. Nov. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Tue. Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone * Wed. Nov. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam Thu. Nov. 7 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse Fri. Nov. 8 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 Sat. Nov. 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records Sun. Nov. 10 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Thu. Nov. 12 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Wed. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord Thu. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar Fri. Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA @ Ché Café Sat. Nov. 16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Sun. Nov. 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Tue. Nov. 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Wed. Nov. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Fri. Nov. 22 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry Sun. Nov. 24 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Tue. Nov. 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Wed. Nov. 27 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Sat. Nov. 30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit * Sun. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall * Tue. Dec. 3 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia * Wed. Dec. 4 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre * Thu. Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * Sat. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Sun. Dec. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * *= w/ Devendra Banhart

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Black Belt Eagle Scout releases shimmering new single – “Loss & Relax.”

“. . . a compact reflection on loss, queer desire, and the endurance of sacred native traditions. Though Mother of My Children captures a specific moment in Paul’s life, it has the power to stick around for a long time.” — Pitchfork, Best Rock Albums of 2018

“There’s a universality to Paul’s soul-searching, a yearning that transcends the boundaries between people and speaks to the human condition in general.” — Stereogum, 40 Best New Bands of 2018

“Paul has a knack for making very specific, personal anecdotes feel universal.” – Paste, 20 Best New Artist of 2018

Black Belt Eagle Scout, the project of Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul, will release the “Loss & Relax b/w Half Colored Hair” 7” single April 26th via Saddle Creek.

“Loss & Relax” is an ode to Paul’s ancestors, past, present, and future, and informed by the experience of traveling home. It was first written in Anacortes following the recording of 2018’s Mother of My Children when Paul was particularly full of emotion and pride. The song was held off Mother of My Children for further exploration and continued to evolve as it was performed live by various members of Paul’s band.

WATCH “LOSS & RELAX” – https://youtu.be/zzFqcstGfPE

As described by Paul: “As I was writing the guitar line, I kept seeing the water of the Salish Sea and the local ferries drifting people in and out of place. Ferries are such a beautiful part of my childhood and served as a major form of transportation. Thinking about my home and how canoes have turned into ferries is a sad, but also beautiful thought. Nowadays with Canoe Journeys, canoes are alongside ferries, roaming our waters to lands, sharing customs and culture. That is what I think about now when I listen to the fully recorded version of the song. I see a strong and fierce community of my people continuing to thrive in whatever comes our way. That is how I feel about myself, a survivor and thriver of this land, a water protector, a womxn, the future.”

The record’s B-side, “Half Colored Hair”, is a love song that explores the preciousness of moments we share with others. Together, the two songs display the next-step in what Black Belt Eagle Scout first instigated last year on Mother of My Children, while also providing an intriguing glimpse into what we have to look forward to in the years to come. As previously announced, Black Belt Eagle Scout will tour North American extensively, including dates supporting Julia Jacklin. All dates are below.

Thu. April 18 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag Records Fri. April 19 – Madison, WI @ Communication # Sat. April 20 – Bloomington, IN @ Culture Shock ^ Mon. April 22 – Athens, OH @ Union Bar and Grill Tue. April 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade * Wed. April 24 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom * Thu. April 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s * Fri. April 26 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott * Sat. April 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB * Sun. April 28 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern * Tue. April 30 – Washington, DC @ DC9 * Wed. May 1 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter * Thu. May 2 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room * Thu. May 3 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor * Sat. May 4 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club * Mon. May 6 – Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records * Tue. May 7 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Wed. May 8 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s * Thu. May 9 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry * Fri. May 10 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb Lounge * Sat. May 11 – Kansas City, MO @ recordBar * Mon. May 13 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * Tue. May 14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge * Fri. May 17 – Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret * Sat. May 18 – Everett, WA @ Fisherman’s Village Music Festival * Sat. May 18 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern * Sun. May 19 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios * Tue. May 21 – San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall * Wed. May 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy * Thu. May 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom * Mon. June 3 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada * Tue. June 4 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda * Wed. June 5 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall * Thu. June 6 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa * Thu. Aug. 1 – Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon # = w/ Disq ^ = w/ Lala Lala *= w/ Julia Jacklin

Pre-order Loss & Relax b/w Half Colored Hair 7” – https://BBES.lnk.to/LossRelax

Watch/Listen/Share: Mother of My Children – https://bbes.lnk.to/MOMC

“Indians Never Die” video – https://youtu.be/aInrLRdBJuU

“Soft Stud” – https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4

“Just Lie Down” – https://youtu.be/MfWHZSS6ZLg

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll relax when you subscribe.]

Black Belt Eagle Scout releases new video in celebration of U.S. tour this spring.

Black Belt Eagle Scout (aka Portland-based Katherine Paul) has shared a new video for the song “Soft Stud” off her debut album, Mother of My Children, which came out last year via Saddle Creek. In the coming months, Paul will embark on a North American tour with opening slots for Julia Jacklin, The Beths, and Bad Hats. Here’s what Paul had to say about the video:

“Demien DinéYazhí and I created this video on the traditional lands of the Chinook people along the Columbia River, where most indigenous people of the PNW travel to this day. We played with symbolism a lot within the work. Our relationship to water is prevalent in this video as well as the joy of being an indigenous woman. Release of feelings with birds flying away as well as connection to land play a part in the video.”

After Mother of My Children was released to glowing endorsements from outlets like Bandcamp, FADER, Paste, and NPR’s All Songs Considered, Paul and her debut album landed on multiple “Best Of The Year” lists, including Pitchfork’s “Best Rock Albums of 2018,” Stereogum’s “40 Best New Bands of 2018,” Under The Radar’s “Top 25 Debut Albums of 2018,” and more. All tour dates and their tribal territories are below.

Watch “Soft Stud” video https://youtu.be/di2rv4gmHlo

Watch/Listen/Share: Mothers of My Children stream – https://bbes.lnk.to/MOMC

“Indians Never Die” video – https://youtu.be/aInrLRdBJuU

“Just Lie Down” stream – https://youtu.be/MfWHZSS6ZLg

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates: Sat. Mar. 16 – Wichita (Dallas, TX) @ Not So Fun Wknd Thu. April 18 – Očeti Šakówin (Sioux Falls, SD) @ Total Drag Tue. April 23 – Osage (Pittsburgh, PA) @ Mr. Roboto Project Wed. April 24 – Lenape (New York, NY) @ Bowery Ballroom Thu. April 25 – Lenape (Philadelphia, PA) @ Johnny Brenda’s Fri. April 26 – Wampanoag/Massachusett (Allston, MA) @ Great Scott Sat. April 27 – Iroquois/Mohawk (Montreal, QC) @ Bar Le Ritz PDB Sun. April 28 – Anishinabewaki/Huron-Wendat (Toronto, ON) @ Horseshoe Tavern Tue. April 30 – Pamunkey/Piscataway (Washington, DC) @ DC9 Wed. May 1 – Powhatan Confederacy (Richmond, VA) @ The Camel Thu. May 2 – Catawba (Carrboro, NC) @ Cat’s Cradle – Back Room Sat. May 4 – Muscogee/ Creek (Atlanta, GA) @ 529 Club Mon. May 6 – Cherokee/ Shawnee (Nashville, TN) @ Third Man Records Tue. May 7 – Miami (Columbus, OH) @ Ace of Cups Wed. May 8 – Peoria/Potawatomi/Miami (Chicago, IL) @ Schuba’s Thu. May 9 – Anishinabewaki/Očeti Šakówin (Minneapolis, MN) @ 7th Street Entry Fri. May 10 – Omaha/Očeti Šakówin (Omaha, NE) @ Reverb Lounge Sat. May 11 – Osage/Kaw/Očeti Šakówin (Kansas City, MO) @ recordBar Mon. May 13 – arapaho/Cheyenne/Ute/Sioux (Denver, CO) @ Larimer Lounge Tue. May 14 – Eastern Shoshone/Goshute (Salt Lake City, UT) @ Urban Lounge Fri. May 17 – Tsleil-Waututh/Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw/ S’ohl Téméxw/Stziuminus (Vancouver, BC) @ The Fox Cabaret Sat. May 18 – Duwamish/Puget Sound Salish (Seattle, WA) @ Tractor Tavern Sun. May 19 – Cinook (Portland, OR) @ Mississippi Studios Tue. May 21 – Ramaytush/Ohlone (San Francisco, CA) @ Swedish American Hall Thu. May 23 -Tongva ( Los Angeles, CA) @ Teragram Ballroom Tue. June 4 – Tonkawa/Comanche (Austin, TX) @ Barracuda Wed. June 5 – Sana (Houston, TX) @ White Oak Music Hall Thu. June 6 – Chahta Yakni/Chitimacha (New Orleans, LA) @ Gasa Gasa

Keep your mind open.

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Black Belt Eagle Scout’s North American tour starts today.

BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT SHARES NEW SINGLE, “JUST LIE DOWN,”
AND ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

LISTEN HERE

photo credit – Jason Quigley

“The electric guitar that starts ‘Soft Stud’ bristles with a coarse riff. The tone is brittle and blunt, rattling from the amplifier as it wordlessly confesses deep frustration. But Katherine Paul’s voice, which glides over the guitar, is an elegant curve, all practiced and gathered.” — Pitchfork

“You’ll hear echoes of early Hole here, but you’ll also hear a powerful new voice grappling with her heritage and her sense of place. ‘Soft Stud’ is a great track, and the crazy part is that it’s not even my favorite track on the album” — Vulture‘s Best New Songs of the Week

“‘Soft Stud’ expresses the complexity of queer desire, layering intimate
lyrics and clean melodies over fuzzy guitar.” — NPR‘s All Songs Considered

“[‘Soft Stud’] . . . feels surprisingly compact, tight nerves and circuitous guitars
and muddy drums building and breaking.” — Stereogum

“Sludgy guitars clash compellingly with Paul’s rich, yearning vocals, which eventually
dissolve into a chaotic and cathartic instrumental outro.” — Consequence of Sound

“…a sprawling, yet intimate six-minute odyssey on which
Paul pairs tender lyrics with transcendent, seeking instrumentation.” — Paste

Black Belt Eagle Scout (aka Portland-based Katherine Paul) is an indigenous queer musician whose debut album, Mother of My Children, is about “grief and love for people, but also about being a native person in what is the United States today.” Mother of My Children is out September 14th via Saddle Creek. Paul will tour North America surrounding its release (all dates are below). After sharing lead single, “Soft Stud,” Black Belt Eagle Scout now presents “Just Lie Down.”

“I started working on the guitar line for this song at the end of a five year stay at a big duplex I was renting in Portland. This had been the longest period of time I had ever lived anywhere that wasn’t my parents’ home. I was being kicked out of the place because the landlord wanted to renovate and hike up the rent. This was the case for a lot of Portlanders at that time (and still is) as the city was on a steep course of gentrification.

My life shifted and I ended up moving in with people I had never met to a smaller, but comfy situation in a different part of town. There was a Corgi named Dayton involved. The room in this house is where I worked on the majority of the songs for Mother of My Children, staying up late and turning up my guitar amp volume when I could. I was in a new place and the feeling of ‘home’ was never really present when I lived there. It was a really disconnected time in my life thus warranting the initial bits and pieces of ‘Just Lie Down.’

So many things didn’t feel foundational and at times I felt like I was losing it. I remember thinking, ‘You aren’t yourself right now. What is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this? What even is this?’ and that’s where most of the questioning lyrics in the song came from. I like to find some sort of resolution in my songs be it a feeling I get from playing it, a certain part of the song that has lyrics that reflect it, something. My resolution in this song is when I sing the lyrics, ‘Just lie down, head on the ground, sky looks blue, just like you.’ To me, it was a simple poem you could say to yourself that means even though you are sad, even though there seems like there is no hope, look up and see what is above you. The sky is still blue and beautiful. Hopefully you will see that beauty and move forward.”

Paul grew up in a small Indian reservation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, surrounded by family focused on native drumming, singing, and arts. From an early age, Paul was singing and dancing at powwows with one of her strongest memories at her family’s own powwow, called the All My Relations Powwow. Paul reminisces, “When I was younger, my only form of music was through the songs my ancestors taught the generations of my family. Singing in our language is a spiritual process and it carries on through me in how I create music today.” With the support of her family and a handful of bootleg Hole and Nirvana VHS tapes, Paul taught herself how to play guitar and drums as a teenager. In 2007, she moved to Portland, Oregon to attend college and get involved with the Rock’n’Roll Camp for Girls eventually diving deep into the city’s music scene playing guitar and drums in bands while evolving her artistry into what would later become Black Belt Eagle Scout.

Listen to Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Just Lie Down” –
https://BBES.lnk.to/MOMC

Listen To “Soft Stud” –
https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
Fri. Aug. 31 – Columbus, OH @ Wexner Arts Center #
Sat. Sep. 1 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx *
Sun. Sep. 2 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen ^
Tue. Sep. 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Lodge #
Wed. Sep. 5 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
Thu. Sep. 6 – New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom #
Fri. Sep. 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA #
Sat. Sep. 8 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel #
Sun. Sep. 9 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat (Backstage) #
Tue. Sep. 11 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook #
Wed. Sep. 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn #
Thu. Sep. 13 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar #
Fri. Sep. 14 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury #
Sat. Sep. 15 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa #
Mon. Sep. 17 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda #
Tue. Sep. 18 – Ft. Worth, TX @ Main at South Side #
Wed. Sep. 19 – Norman, OK @ Opolis #
Thu. Sep. 20 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck #
Fri. Sep. 21 – St. Louis, MO @ Off-Broadway #
Sat. Sep. 22 – Davenport, IA @ Village Theater #
Mon. Sep. 24 – Lexington, KY @ The Burl #
Wed. Sep. 26 – Omaha, NE @ Reverb $
Fri. Sep. 28 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive $
Sat. Sep. 29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records $
Sun. Sep. 30 – Boise, ID @ Funky Taco $
Wed. Oct. 3 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett $

* = with Varsity
^ = with Shortly
# = with Saintseneca
$ = with Guerrilla Toss

Pre-order Mother of My Children —

https://BBES.lnk.to/MOMC

Mother of My Children cover art

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Introducing one of your new favorite artists – Black Belt Eagle Scout

INTRODUCING BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT

DEBUT ALBUM, MOTHER OF MY CHILDREN,
OUT SEPTEMBER 14TH ON SADDLE CREEK

LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE, “SOFT STUD”
https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4

photo credit – Jason Quigley

“Having this identity—radical indigenous queer feminist—keeps me going. My music and my identity come from the same foundation of being a Native woman.” Katherine Paul (aka KP) is Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Mother of My Children is her debut album, out September 14th on Saddle Creek. Recorded in the middle of winter near her hometown in Northwest Washington, Paul’s connection to the landscape’s eerie beauty are palpable throughout as the album traces the full spectrum of confronting buried feelings and the loss of what life was supposed to look like. Paul reflects, “I wrote this album in the fall of 2016 after two pretty big losses in my life. My mentor, Geneviève Castrée, had just died from pancreatic cancer and the relationship I had with the first woman I loved had drastically lessened and changed.” Heavy and heartbroken, Paul found respite from the weight of such loss in the creation of these songs that “are about grief and love for people, but also about being a native person in what is the United States today.”

On Mother of My Children, the songs weave together to capture both the enduring and fleeting experiences of loss, frustration, and dreaming. The structures are traditional, but the lyrics don’t adhere to any format other than what feels right in the moment. Mother of My Children begins with lead single “Soft Stud,” which Paul describes as her “queer anthem.” It’s “about the hardships of queer desire within an open relationship.” “It’s a sprawling six minutes that feels surprisingly compact, tight nerves and circuitous guitars and muddy drums building and breaking” (Stereogum). “Indians Never Die,” a call out to colonizers and those who don’t respect the Earth, follows. As Standing Rock was happening, many people in Paul’s life were coming together to fight for the most basic necessity to sustain human life: water. “Our treaty rights weren’t being honored. Imagine hearing on the news that the government doesn’t support you as a human being and never has. They don’t care about the water, they don’t care about how they are destroying what is around them. Indigenous people are the protectors of this land. Indians never die because this is our land that we will forever protect in the present and the afterlife.”

Mother of My Children is a life chapter gently preserved. The access listeners have to such vulnerability feels special and generous.

Listen To Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Soft Stud” —
https://youtu.be/LXsfiYigeg4

Mother of My Children Tracklist:
1. Soft Stud
2. Indians Never Die
3. Keyboard
4. Mother of My Children
5. Yard
6. I Don’t Have You In My Life
7. Just Lie Down
8. Sam, A Dream

Pre-order Mother of My Children —

https://BBES.lnk.to/MOMC

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
July 23 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
July 24 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza

Mother of My Children cover art

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