Jars of Clay to release 'Inland' on August 27

Nice to get this in my inbox. I've always been a big fan of Jars of Clay and it's great to hear the band has a new album set to land later this summer. Here is the official news release...


GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING JARS OF CLAY READY ELEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM 'INLAND' AVAILABLE AUGUST 27th

Title Track Offered Exclusively as RollingStone.com’s Free “Daily Download”


First single “After The Fight” Featuring Adrian Belew Out June 18th


NASHVILLE, TENN. – Grammy Award winners Jars of Clay are readying their eleventh studio album Inland, produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Beth Orton, The Decemberists) and mixed by Beau Sorenson and Jacquire King. The album is due August 27th on their own Gray Matters label with distribution through Tone Tree.

It’s been nearly twenty years since Dan Haseltine, Steve Mason, Charlie Lowell and Matthew Odmark released their debut Frail. Students at the time, Jars of Clay once again harness the youthful ambition and uninhibited creativity of their beginnings while cultivating a maturity in sound with embellishments of violin, horns and ambient melodies that attests two decades of experience.

It’s the sound of a band that is comfortable in its skin, having wrestled their demons and won.

“These are songs for the ordinary days- when life is weighty and uncertain,” reflects Matthew Odmark. “It is this middle space that we have inhabited over the years. It’s where you and I do the gritty work of actually living.”

The music on Inland has a rich cinematic quality, marked by Lowell’s lush keyboard melodies, Odmark’s strong acoustic rhythm guitar, and Mason’s serpentine bass lines. The album’s first single “After The Fight” (available June 18th on iTunes), featuring the atmospheric guitar textures of Adrian Belew, has a low-key swagger that brings to mind the intergalactic art rock of Bowie and Peter Murphy. “We asked Adrian Belew if he’d come in and work his magic,” explains Dan Haseltine. “He produced two songs on our first record, but we were too intimidated to let him play guitar. This time he added his big, wild, twanging guitar sound, the reverse solos and all the other effects he’s famous for.”

Following years on labels, Inland marks Jars of Clay’s first independent release, “We’ve had enough experience with record labels working a project because they have to,” says Haseltine. “Everyone we work with loves the record and wants to help us build something as a band with a big creative vision.”

Part of that creative vision is to shatter some of the preconceived notions built over the years by label marketing strategies. "It took a long time to strip away every voice that wasn't ours to make Inland," explains Haseltine. "For me, it's always been about a great song. We want to connect with people who love music for music. That's why created our own label."

Jars of Clay begin their U.S. tour in support of Inland in July with Brooke Waggoner supporting in July/September and The Last Bison in August.

Visit Jars of Clay's official Web site for more information on the new album and upcoming tour.