Grant-Lee Phillips Announces New Album In The Hour Of Dust, out September 5 on Yep Roc Records
Contemplative and Cinematic Collection is Meditation on Disconnection and Grace
First Single “Closer Tonight” Out Today
Listen/Share: “Closer Tonight”
Tour Dates Announced
Acclaimed Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and painter Grant-Lee Phillips announces the release of In the Hour of Dust, his 12th solo album, out September 5 on Yep Roc Records. Today, he unveils “Closer Tonight,” the first single available at all digital service providers.
Of “Closer Tonight,” Phillips offers: “A reflection of my uneasy feelings about this moment. On one hand, we’re living in an age of scientific advancement, an integration of technology that could vastly enhance life as we know it. On the other hand, we’re equally capable of barbaric cruelty, incapable of prioritizing life, neither our own nor that of the planet, all as we plot to plant our flag on Mars. We’re closer than ever to realizing our greatest potential and closer than ever to self-destruction.”
In celebration of the album, Phillips will embark on a 26-date U.S. and UK tour beginning with a run of Northeast dates in September, with a West Coast run in November, including a stop in Los Angeles, and dates in the UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Finland throughout the fall and winter. A complete list of dates is below and tickets are available here.
Inspired by a painting from India discovered while wandering the Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena, CA, and the evocative Indian concept of ‘the hour of cow dust’–“It’s that moment of the day when the cows are led back home, they kick up the dust; that’s a cue to prepare the lamps. Night is about to fall,” says Phillips.
The self-produced album finds Phillips at his most introspective and poetic, channeling his visual and musical sensibilities into a striking mediation on disconnection and grace. “The mood on this album is contemplative,” says Phillips. “It’s about trying to find meaning in an age of confusion, feeling your way through the blinding dust of unreality.”
Known for his cinematic lyricism and atmospheric arrangements, In the Hour of Dust spans universal and personal themes. “Bullies,” co-written with pianist Jamie Edwards–the first co-write to appear on any Phillips’ albums–channels his experience as an outsider into a defiant anthem of resilience. “She Knows Me” offers a deeply personal testament to partnerships and vulnerability, while “Did You Make It Through the Night Okay” draws Phillips’ heritage as an Enrolled citizen of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, reflecting on hardship and survival.
Written and recorded between his home studio in Nashville and Lucy’s Meat Market in Eagle Rock, CA, In the Hour of Dust features intimate solo recordings and collaborative sessions with longtime friends and acclaimed musicians: Jay Bellerose (drums), Jennifer Condos (bass), and Patrick Warren (keyboards). “I don’t see songs of love and songs of protest as being so far apart, really,” Phillips reflects. “It’s all about recognizing the value of connection in a disconnected time.”
Since his early days as the frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo, through his role as the town troubadour on Gilmore Girls to his prolific solo career, Phillips has established himself as one of America’s most consistent and compelling songwriters. His distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and masterful musicianship have earned him a dedicated following and critical praise across multiple decades.
Grant-Lee Phillips Tour Dates
September 7 – Jammin’ Java – Vienna, VA
September 9 – City Winery – Philadelphia, PA
September 10 – City Winery – New York, NY
September 11 – City Winery – Boston, MA
October 10 – St. Michael-in-the-Hamlet Church – Liverpool, UK
October 11 – Hallé at St Michael’s – Manchester, UK
October 12 – Portland Arms – Cambridge, UK
October 14 – Kitchen Garden – Birmingham, UK
October 15 – The Lower Third – London, UK
October 16 – Les Etoiles – Paris, France
October 17 – Reflektor – Liege, Belgium
October 18 – Ramblin’ Roots – Utrecht, The Netherlands
October 19 – Metropol – Hengelo, The Netherlands
October 21 – DR Koncerthuset – Copenhagen, Denmark
November 8 – McCabe’s Guitar Shop – Los Angeles, CA
November 9 – HopMonk Tavern – Novato, CA
January 14 – The Lantern – Bristol, UK
January 15 – The Trades Club – Hebden Bridge, UK
January 16 – Celtic Connections – Glasgow, UK
January 17 – The Common Room – Newcastle, UK
January 18 – Tithe Barn – Carlisle, UK
January 20 – Out to Lunch Festival – Belfast, UK
January 21 – Whelan’s – Dublin, Ireland
January 23-24 – G Livelab – Helsinki, Finland
January 25 – Ylläs Jazz & Blues Festival – Lapland, Finland
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