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Jul 19, 2023 By Kat Ramkumar Photography by Jackie Lee Young

Folk rock band, The Mountain Goats have announced their new album Jenny from Thebes and shared its lead single “Clean Slate.” This LP, which was produced by Trina Shoemaker and is a companion to their 2002 All Hail West Texas, is due out October 27 via Merge. Jenny from Thebes is a collection of showtunes that has drawn inspiration from Godspell, Jim Steinman, and The Cars. The Mountain Goats will also embark on a fall tour. Check out the “Clean Slate” below followed by the upcoming LP’s tracklist and cover artwork as well as upcoming tour dates.

Jenny from Thebes was derived from a lyric frontman John Darnielle was playing on the piano. That lyric was “Jenny was a warrior / Jenny was a thief / Jenny hit the corner clinic begging for relief.” Jenny from Thebes is the story of Jenny, her southwestern ranch style house, the people for whom that house is a place of safety, and the west Texas town that is uncomfortable with its existence. It is a story about the individual and society, about safety and shelter and those who choose to provide care when nobody else will.

Of the title for the album, Darnielle explains that Jenny is not unlike a character from Greek literature, someone on the verge of unimaginable tragedy. “These things never happen in isolation,” he says. “One bad event leads to and is the reason for another bad event. Jenny should know that you can’t keep a safehouse in a west Texas town, but she’s too wrapped up in the process and has to go through the loss to understand how it happened.”

Of “Clean Slate,” Darniell says in a press release: “We’re proud to reveal ‘Clean Slate,’ the first song from our new album, Jenny from Thebes. People like to hedge bets by using terms like ‘concept album’ but let’s be clear, this is a rock opera about a woman named Jenny, who buys a Kawasaki to ride as far away as she can from a town she’s been carrying on her shoulders too long. ‘Clean Slate’ sets the scene: this is the house Jenny rents; these are the people who crash there when they need a place to stay; this is where she’s at in the process of becoming someone other than the keyholder she’s been. Produced by Trina Shoemaker! Played by the Mountain Goats at the Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Respect to the real pirates of west Texas, still out there on the roads: may you remain one step ahead forever!

This LP features guitar by Alicia Bognanno (Bully), horn and string arrangements by Matt Douglas, and backing vocals from Kathy Valentine (The Go-Gos) and Matt Nathanson.

Check out our “Why Not Both” podcast featuring The Mountain Goats.

Jenny from Thebes Tracklist:

1. Clean Slate
2. Ground Level
3. Only One Way
4. Fresh Tattoo
5. Cleaning Crew
6. Murder at the 18th St. Garage
7. From the Nebraska Plant
8. Same as Cash
9. Water Tower
10. Jenny III
11. Going to Dallas
12. Great Pirates

The Mountain Goats Tour Dates:

8/4 - New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
8/5 - Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues
8/8 - Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo - SOLD OUT
8/9 - Portland, OR - Pioneer Courthouse Square
10/2 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
10/5 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
10/6 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall - SOLD OUT
10/7 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
10/9 - Spokane, WA @ Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
10/10 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
10/11 - Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
10/13 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
10/14 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
10/27 - Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater
10/28 - Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom
10/29 - Houston, TX @ Heights Theater

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