Tune-Yards announce new album ‘Better Dreaming’ & tour, share “Limelight”

Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner have announced a new Tune-Yards album, Better Dreaming, due May 16 via 4AD (pre-order). The couple made this one primarily as a duo, with Merrill using the drum-looping techniques that made early albums Bird-Brains and Whokill so special, after bringing in a full-kit drummer and other collaborators on more recent material.

The first single is “Limelight,” which a press release says was born from Merrill, Nate, and their three-year-old child dancing as a family to George Clinton, and their kid can be heard singing on the track. Merrill says, “This one almost didn’t make it onto the album because it felt trite, especially given multiple genocides across the globe and the particular impact on children (the kids are not ‘alright’). But it kept coming back as people kept responding positively to it, in particular our own kid. Who am I to talk about getting free, about us all getting free? Fannie Lou Hamer said, ‘Nobody’s free until everybody’s free’ and it feels vulnerable but important to see myself as part of that ‘everybody.’”

The song sounds like classic Tune-Yards and you can definitely hear the funk influence from those George Clinton dancing sessions coming through on this one. It comes with a video directed and edited by Jayla Smith. Check it out below.

Tune-Yards also announced a short Northeast tour, with shows happening this May in Philly, Kingston, Portland, Brattleboro, and Northampton, before wrapping up at NYC’s new Night Club 101 on May 15 (the former Pyramid Club space, 101 Ave A). Tickets for all dates go on sale Friday (3/7) at 10 AM local time. All dates are listed below.

Tracklist
1. Heartbreak
2. Swarm
3. Never Look Back
4. Suspended
5. Limelight
6. Get Through
7. Better Dreaming
8. How Big Is The Rainbow
9. See You There
10. Perpetual Motion
11. Sanctuary

Tune-Yards — 2025 Tour Dates
May 7 – Philadelphia, PA, Johnny Brenda’s
May 9 – Kingston, NY, Assembly
May 10 – Portland, ME, Space 538
May 12 – Brattleboro, VT, The Stone Church
May 13 – Northampton, MA, Iron Horse Music Hall
May 15 – New York, NY, Night Club 101