Amanda Palmer Returns With New Song Addressing #MeToo Movement, Political Insanity

Amanda Palmer is back with an ambitious new song, “Drowning In the Sound,” which addresses everything from the internet to climate change to the #MeToo movement and how it all contributes to this bizarre sociopolitical moment. The song a dynamic piece of orchestral pop filled with unexpected instrumental turns, yet anchored by Palmer’s urgent vocals. Her lyrics match the song’s dire tone as she touches on everything from the #MeToo movement to fake news, while keeping an eye on the ultimate catastrophe: “And my children are so heavy,” she sings, “But I pick them up and run/ And I know I’ll have to swim soon/ When the water gets too high/ I’ll keep holding them above me/ I’ll keep holding them and crying.”

Palmer said she wrote “Drowning In the Sound” during a two-day session in August 2017, in the midst of Hurricane Harvey. The original demo was released soon after, with download proceeds benefitting the Texas Diaper Bank. The track will appear on Palmer’s forthcoming third solo record, There Will Be No Intermission, out March 8th. There Will Be No Intermission is available to pre-order and marks Palmer’s first solo album of all new material since 2012’s Theatre Is Evil. The new record was recorded with producer John Congleton and was entirely crowd-funded via Palmer’s Patreon.

In a statement, Palmer spoke about the political nature of There Will Be No Intermission, saying, “I’ve never been nervous about releasing a record before, but this one is different. The rise of global fascism alongside the spreading fire of #MeToo has forged a louder megaphone for all women, and we’re all seeing that radical truth is infectious. I feel more urgency than ever to share the naked truth of my experiences. The kind of stories that I’m sharing on this record – abortion, miscarriage, cancer, grief, the darker sides of parenthood – have been therapeutic and frightening to write. But every time I play them for my friends and fans, the nodding heads of empathy have lit a fire under my ass to record and release them.”

To accompany the album, Palmer will also release a book of narrative photography made in collaboration with photographers Kahn and Selesnick. The 50 theatrical photographic portraits were taken in and around Palmer’s home in upstate New York. The hardback version will be available exclusively to Palmer’s patrons, while the softcover edition will be sold at stops on Palmer’s forthcoming tour.

Palmer also announced a handful of North American shows this spring, and plans to extend the trek into 2020. The shows will feature Palmer performing solo on a grand piano, making it her first official tour with no backup musicians. The trek includes a handful of shows at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas then gets underway March 21st in Detroit, Michigan. Tickets go on sale Friday, December 14th.

There Will Be No Intermission Track List

1. “All The Things”
2. “The Ride”
3. “Congratulations”
4. “Drowning in the Sound”
5. “Hold On Tight”
6. “The Thing About Things”
7. “Life’s Such a Bitch Isn’t It”
8. “Judy Blume”
9. “Feeding the Dark”
10. “Bigger on the Inside”
11. “There Will Be No Intermission”
12. “Machete”
13. “You Know the Statistics”
14. “Voicemail for Jill”
15. “You’d Think I’d Shot Their Children”
16. “A Mother’s Confession”
17. “They’re Saying Not to Panic”
18. “Look Mummy, No Hands”
19. “Intermission is Relative”
20. “Death Thing”

Amanda Palmer 2019 Tour Dates

March 13 14 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
March 21 – Detroit, MI @ The Cathedral
March 22 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
March 23 – Montreal, QC @ Monument National
April 5 – Washington, DC @ National Theatre
April 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ Temple Performing Arts Center
April 12 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
April 13 – St. Paul, MN @ The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University
April 19 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
April 20 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
May 10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
May 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
May 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Centre
May 18 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
May 30 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
May 31 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
June 1 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
June 6 – Vancouver, BC @ The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
June 7 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
June 8 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom