Although they’re both based in the Big Apple, indie rock duo She Keeps Bees and singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten don’t exactly travel in the same circles. The former are known for their gritty blues à la The White Stripes, while Van Etten seems more rooted in quiet folk. Yet, when the two acts join forces, it almost sounds like a match made in music heaven. Case in point: June’s emotional “Is What It Is”, and now, their latest joint endeavor, “Owl”.
Here, She Keeps Bees singer Jessica Larrabee takes command of the low-key rocker, her yearning voice backed modestly by a lonely guitar and a few deep bellows of what sounds like a saxophone. Van Etten doesn’t play as prominent a role as she did on “Is What It Is”, but her faint backup vocals offer up an additional layer of spookiness to the track.
Listen in below.
Both “Owl” and “Is What It Is” will appear on She Keeps Bees’ forthcoming album, Eight Houses, due out September 16th via Future Gods. In support, the group has also lined up a fall tour of the US. See the official tracklist and their full itinerary below.
Eight Houses Tracklist:
01. Feather Lighter
02. Breezy
03. Owl
04. Both Sides
05. Burning Bowl
06. Radiance
07. Wasichu
08. Greasy Grass
09. Raven
10. Is What It Is
She Keeps Bees 2014 Tour Dates:
08/21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo Gallery
08/24 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
08/25 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
08/26 – Grand Forks, ND @ NDMOA
08/28 – Spokane, WA @ Jones Radiator
08/29 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
08/30 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre Lounge
09/03 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
09/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
09/07 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
09/08 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room
09/10 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
09/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
09/12 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
09/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar
09/14 – Lincoln, NE @ Duffy’s Taver
09/15 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
09/16 – Milwaukee, WI @ Club Garibaldi
09/17 – Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
09/19 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
09/20 – Athens, OH @ The Union
09/25 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
09/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
09/27 – Washington, DC @ The Lot
11/12 – Bristol, UK @ The Lantern
11/13 – Manchester, UK @ Gullivers
11/15 – London, UK @ The Lexington
