Following her acclaimed trilogy of solo albums, electronic R&B innovator DAWN (formerly Dawn Richard) returns on January 25, 2019 with new breed, a new album-length project that dates back to her upbringing in New Orleans, taking in the city’s rich traditions and musical heritage.
After releasing an initial taste of the album through the slow burning R&B of “jealousy”, today sees DAWN drop the album’s second single and title track. A self-produced return to the electronically-focused sonics of her previous solo work,“new breed” is an authoritative stamp on the genre in her own unique fashion.
Set across 10 tracks, the album provides the most intimate portrait of DAWN’s life so far, harking back to her years growing up in New Orleans and paying tribute to the city’s culture, sights and sounds. Presenting a duality between the more soulful sounds of the city’s more traditional forms of R&B and DAWN’s own innovative brand of electronic sonics, new breed sees DAWN at her most eclectic, drawing on a wide range of influences and, alongside contributions from the likes of Cole M.G.N (Christine & The Queens, Ariel Pink), Kaveh Rastegar (John Legend, Sia) and Hudson Mohawke, has been largely self produced.
Driven by innovations in tech as well as music, in 2016 DAWN became the first ever artist to perform live in 360 degrees on YouTube, partnered with Wired for the release of an award-nominated virtual reality version of her single “Not Above That”, and joined Adult Swim as a curator and designer. Her last album Redemption went top 5 in the BillboardDance Charts, and saw her subsequently collaborate with Dirty Projectors, Kimbra and Mumdance on a series of singles. Live, Dawn has spent the Fall touring with her former Danity Kane band-mates as well as Kimbra, and performed at Adult Swim’s festival this November.
With new breed, DAWN has further set herself apart as one of R&B’s true iconoclasts, merging styles and metamorphosing them to her own style to create one of the most important, culturally relevant projects of recent times. Increasingly carving her own lane in the landscape of contemporary music, DAWN is writing her own legend; one that those after her have no choice but to follow.
new breed will be released through DAWN’s regular home of Local Action Records/Our Dawn Ent, on vinyl, CD and limited cassette. All are available to pre-order now at https://dawnrichard.bandcam
Tracklist:
1. the nine (intro)
2. new breed
3. spaces
4. dreams and converse
5. shades
6. jealousy
7. sauce
8. vultures | wolves
9. we, diamonds
10. ketchup and po boys (outro)
tour dates:
November 8 — Washington, D.C. — Howard Theater (Danity Kane)
November 9 — Wilmington, DE — World Cafe Live at The Queen (Danity Kane)
November 10 — Freehold, NJ — iPlay America’s Event Center (Danity Kane)
November 11 — Boston, MA — The Wilbur (Danity Kane)
November 15 — Cleveland, OH — House of Blues (Danity Kane)
November 16 — Detroit, MI — St. Andrew’s Hall (Danity Kane)
November 18 — Grand Rapids, MI — 20 Monroe Live (Danity Kane)
November 30 — Pasadena, CA — The Rose (Danity Kane)
December 1 — Los Angeles, CA — Aratani/Japan America Theatre (w/ Kimbra)
December 2 — San Francisco, CA — The Chapel (w/ Kimbra)
December 3 — Minneapolis, MN — The Varsity Theater (Danity Kane)
December 5 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall (w/ Kimbra)
December 6 — Washington, DC — Sixth & I Historic Synagogue (w/ Kimbra)
December 8 — Reading, PA — The Santander Performing Arts Center (Danity Kane)
December 9 — Indianapolis, IN — Deluxe at Old National Centre (Danity Kane)
December 10 — Brooklyn, NY — Murmrr Theater (w/ Kimbra)
January 11 — Houston, TX — House of Blues (Danity Kane)
January 12 — Dallas, TX — House of Blues (Danity Kane)