Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms

News

Neko Case Returns With New Album 'Hell-On,' Out June 1
Monday, March 5th, 2018

Neko Case Returns With New Album 'Hell-On,' Out June 1

On June 1st, Anti- will release Neko Case’s ‘Hell-On,’ an indelible collection of colorful, enigmatic storytelling that features some of her most daring, through-composed arrangements to date. Listen to title track “Hell-On” below.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ESUXxAbZVZ4 

Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon: https://ffm.to/nekocase-hell-on

[youtube id=ESUXxAbZVZ4]

Produced by Neko Case, ‘Hell-On’ is simultaneously her most accessible and most challenging album, in a rich and varied career that’s offered plenty of both. ‘Hell-On’ is rife with withering self-critique, muted reflection, anthemic affirmation and Neko’s unique poetic sensibility. Neko enlisted Bjorn Yttling of (Peter Bjorn & John) to co-produce 6 tracks with her in Stockholm, Sweden where she mixed the 12 track album with Lasse Mårtén.

‘Hell-On’ features performances by Beth Ditto, Mark Lanegan, k.d. Lang, AC Newman, Eric Bachmann, Kelly Hogan, Doug Gillard, Laura Veirs, Joey Burns and many more. And, with that, it’s best to hand this off to Neko….

My name is Neko Case. I am a music producer, songwriter, and musician. I just finished a record called ‘Hell-On’ with a cast of talented musicians, techs, label folks and friends.

What I want you to know about me isn’t too much, nor do I want to over talk it. What you take away on your own, as a listener is most important. I worked really hard and I was present for every second of this project. Producing a record is a huge task and there were times I was deep in the weeds, but that is normal for a record that takes a year plus. The weeds aren’t so bad. There were a lot of break-through moments, belly-laughs, sleepless nights and grubby, shiny jeans. In the end it was all worth it and I am so proud of how it turned out, and I am so grateful to have worked with such dedicated, giving artists to make it happen.

There were a few challenges during the making of this record from small (scheduling difficulties, and occasional miscommunication) to large (my house burning down while I was overseas.) But none of them are the story of this recording, the songs are the story. They are my best self. They are everything I’ve worked for since I was a kid, whether I knew it or not.

I write songs from a feeling of solidarity with folks who feel alone or isolated, I think I’m trying to comfort people in this way. It’s not a forceful way rather "No commitment necessary;" take it if you want it, take it as you can. 

My style is odd, I don’t know what genre this is. I don’t have a pretty voice or a trained voice, and I am constantly disappointed that I don’t have a “tough” voice, no matter how hard I practice, but it’s mine, and for all its loud, heavy-handed, nasal, vibrato-less qualities I accept it. The closest sound I have found to compare it to is Bulgarian Folk singing. My Eastern ancestors could have been proud of me a century ago? I could have been a droning “caller of wasps” perhaps? I just invented that job, I like the sound of it.

The songs are who I believe myself to be and that will change, but for now that’s how it is and I’m very satisfied with that.

Neko Case will hit the road this summer, including dates with Ray LaMontagne and at Sasquatch Festival — full dates below.

Neko Case is the consummate career artist--fearless and versatile, with a fierce work ethic and a constant drive to search deeper within herself for creative growth. Rolling Stone calls her “one of America’s best and most ambitious songwriters,” while Pitchfork deemed her last release, 2013’s 'The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You,’ “the most potent album of her career.” 2015’s ’Truckdriver, Gladiator, Mule’ box set looked back on her groundbreaking 20 years in music, packaging together 8 classic albums that track her unique journey from punk/country torchbearer to “essentially peerless” (NPR) avant pop icon.

‘Hell-On’ Tracklist:

Hell-On

Last Lion Of Albion

Halls of Sarah

Bad Luck

Curse of the I-5 Corridor

Gumball Blue

Dirty Diamond

Oracle Of The Maritime

Winnie

Sleep All Summer

My Uncle’s Navy

Pitch Or Honey

Tour Dates:

May 27 — Gorge Amphitheatre, WA @ Sasquatch Festival

May 28 — Boise, ID @ Summerfield At Memorial Stadium*

May 30 — Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre*

June 1 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre*

June 2 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*

June 3 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre*

June 5 — Phoenix, CA @ Comerica Theatre*

June 8 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory*

June 9 — Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre*

June 10 — Sugarland, TX @ Smart Financial Centre*

June 12 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion*

June 13 — Southaven, MS @ Bankplus Amphitheatre at Snowden Grove*

June 15 — Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Lawn at White River Amphitheatre*

June 16 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*

June 17 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre*

June 19 — Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*

June 20 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion*

June 22 — Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing*

June 23 — Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*

June 24 — Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*

June 26 — Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre*

June 28 — Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion*

June 29 — North Adams, MA @ MASS MOCA*

June 30 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*

July 1 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre*

July 3 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall*

July 4 — Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang*

July 6 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field*

July 7 — St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House*

July 8 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre*

July 10 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*

*w/ Ray LaMontagne

Browse by Artist

2128All Artists 100Tom Waits 75Mavis Staples 59Neko Case 51Lost In The Trees 50Sean Rowe 48Dr. Dog 45The Milk Carton Kids
41Jolie Holland 40Bettye LaVette 37Man Man 36Son Little 35Tinariwen 33Tim Fite 33DeVotchKa 31Islands 31Grinderman 29Glen Hansard 28Saintseneca 27Wilco 27Delicate Steve 27Galactic 26Andy Shauf 25The Drums 24Xenia Rubinos 24Michael Franti and Spe... 22William Elliott Whitmo... 22Bob Mould 22Doe Paoro 21The Frames 21Nick Cave & The Bad Se... 20Joe Henry 20Christopher Paul Stell... 19Booker T. Jones 19Cass McCombs 19Sage Francis 19Yves Jarvis 18Gary V 18Calexico 18Deafheaven 17John K. Samson 17Yann Tiersen 16Danny Elfman 16Jason Lytle 16Ramblin Jack Elliott 16The Antlers 15Madi Diaz 14Jeremy Ivey 14Half Waif 14Daniel Lanois 13The Dream Syndicate 13Billy Bragg 12Lido Pimienta 12Leyla McCalla 12Girlpool 12Combo Chimbita 12Curtis Harding 12Peter Silberman 12Xavier Rudd 11Glitterer 11Purr 11Roky Erickson 11Lyrics Born 11Mose Allison 11Christian Lee Hutson 11Rain Machine 11Ryan Pollie 11Japandroids 11Jade Jackson 11The Weakerthans 10High Pulp 10Moor Mother 10The Melodic 10Darrin Bradbury 10Alfa Mist 10So Much Light 10The Swell Season 9Josiah Johnson 9Cameron Avery 9Hey, King! 9Wynonna 9Rafiq Bhatia 9N.A.S.A. 9Marianne Faithfull 9M. Ward 8Greg Graffin 8James Brandon Lewis 8Katy Kirby 8Slow Pulp 8Kate Davis 8The Coup 8Solillaquists of Sound 8Cadence Weapon 7Beth Orton 7Kelly Hogan 7Title Fight 7sunking 7Eddie Izzard 7Ben Harper 7Dead Man's Bones 7Alec Ounsworth 7Ben Harper and Charlie... 7Richard Reed Parry 7Elliott Smith 6Os Mutantes 6Waxahatchee 6Kate Bush 6Busdriver 6Foxwarren 6MJ Lenderman 6Broken Twin 6A Girl Called Eddy 6Deradoorian 6Bonny Doon 5One Day As A Lion 5Beat Connection 5Sam Akpro 5Art Moore 5Jasmyn 5Kristine Leschper 5Keaton Henson 5The Field 5Scott McMicken and THE... 5The Tallest Man On Ear... 5Ezra Furman 4Ersi Arvizu 4Jackson+Sellers 4Sparklehorse 4Marketa Irglova 4The Good Ones 4Pops Staples 3Marc Ribot 3Mavis Staples & Levon... 3Sierra Leones Refugee... 3Danny Cohen 3Plains 3Petra Haden 3Walter Wolfman Washing... 3Mothers 2Fleet Foxes 2The Beths 2Various Artists: RANGO 2Jeff Tweedy 2ANTI- Records 1The Locust 1Solomon Burke 1Merle Haggard 1Youth Group 1Blackalicious 1Taylor Vick 1Lightman Jarvis Ecstat... 1Simian Mobile Disco 1Porter Wagoner 1Rogue's Gallery 1Antibalas 1Various Artists: ROGUE... 1Kronos Quartet with Br... 1Joe Strummer And The M... 1Tricky 1case/lang/veirs
See Full List+