The Minus 5 (Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, more) announce new album & tour, share “Words & Birds”

The Minus 5, the group led by Seattle legend Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, R.E.M.) and featuring a rotating cast of friends/collaborators, have announced a new album, Oar On, Penelope!, which will be out May 30 via Yep Roc. The album is their first of all-original material in five years and was produced by McCaughey, mixed by Ed Stasium (The Ramones, Living Colour), and features contributions from Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Debbi Peterson (The Bangles), Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks), Linda Pitmon (Baseball Project, Filthy Friends), and Spencer Tweedy.

The first single from the album is “Words & Birds,” an anthemic power-pop number. Says Scott, “’It’s all too beautiful, man!’ If not original, that sentiment seems important to me, to this record, to my world. This came together after a few passes in the studio, and it sounds like we played it forever. That’s what can happen when you play music with good pals. Didn’t need to add anything except Debbi shouting along: ‘Those impossible wings / Messenger that bring / Inexplicable songs / Purple twilight and dawn…”’ (By the way, in a radical move — for those who know me — I purposefully decided to NOT put tambourine on every song. Luckily, Ed [Stasium] didn’t care and threw it on wherever it begged).”

Watch the video below.

The Minus 5 have late spring shows lined up, including the Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise in May, and West Coast shows in June. All dates are listed below.

Oar On, Penelope!
1. Words & Birds
2. Death the Bludgeoner
3. Let the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee
4. I Don’t Want to Hate Anyone
5. The Garden of Arden
6. Last Hotel
7. Bison Queen
8. Falling Like Jets
9. Burgundy Suit
10. Blow in My Bag
11. Sharktooth
12. What Shall Not Be Released

The Minus 5 Tour Dates
May 9 -13 – Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise – Miami, FL
June 1 – Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
June 3 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA
June 4 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA
June 6 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
June 7 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA