Robyn Hitchcock has announced Shufflemania!, his first album since his 2017 self-titled, which will be out October 21 via Tiny Ghost. Says Robyn: "What is SHUFFLEMANIA!? It’s surfing fate, trusting your intuition, and bullfighting with destiny. It’s embracing the random and dancing with it, even when it needs to clean its teeth. It’s probably the most consistent album I’ve made. It’s a party record, with a few solemn moments, as parties are wont to supply. Groove on, groovers!"
The basic tracks were recorded on a portastudio, and then Hitchcck sent the guitar-vocals files to friends to help flesh out the arrangements. Those included his former Soft Boys bandmates Kimberley Rew and Morris Windsor, as well as Johnny Marr, The Raconteurs' Brendan Benson, Sean Ono Lennon, Kelley Stoltz, Dr Dog's Eric Slick, and more.
“To me, most songs are about themselves and how they make you feel,” says Hitchcock. “What triggers them is mysterious. The songs on this record are a series of sub-personalities, fertilized by chance. You might even say they were cards, dealt to me by The Shuffle Man.” With that in mind, the first single from the album is "The Shuffle Man," which is indeed a lot of fun, a rambunctious garage-psych rave up. “The Shuffle Man is the imp of change,” says Hitchcock, “the agent of fortune. He throws the cards up in the air and leaves you to deal with where they fall. He is the exhilaration of chaos – with fast hands and a stovepipe hat.” Watch the video below.
Robyn also has live dates lined up for this year and 2023. Those are listed below.
SHUFFLEMANIA!: The Shuffle Man The Inner Life of Scorpio The Feathery Serpent God Midnight Tram To Nowhere Socrates In Thin Air Noirer Than Noir The Man Who Loves The Rain The Sir Tommy Shovel The Raging Muse One Day (It’s Being Scheduled)
ROBYN HITCHCOCK - 2022/2023 TOUR DATES
SEPTEMBER 13 - Falmouth, United Kingdom - The Cornish Bank 14 - Totnes, United Kingdom - The Barrel House 15 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Redgrave Theatre 20 - Hertford, United Kingdom - Hertford Corn Exchange 21 - Reading, United Kingdom - South Street Arts Centre 22 - Deal, United Kingdom - The Lighthouse 23 - Norwich, United Kingdom - Norwich Puppet Theatre
OCTOBER 2 - Asker, Norway - Venskaben 4 - Trondheim, Norway - Bar Moskus
NOVEMBER 10 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club 11 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic 12 - Decatur, GA - Eddie's Attic 16 - Nashville, TN - The Basement
FEBRUARY 2023 25 - London, United Kingdom - Alexandra Palace Theatre
