Nashville band Lambchop has unveiled its new album Punching the Clown along with a series of tour dates across North America and Europe. The record was produced by Ryan Olson and features Justin Vernon on banjo. The lead single Weakened is now available.
Lambchop recorded the album at April Base studio in Wisconsin. Kurt Wagner, the band's principal, drew inspiration from lined out singing traditions rooted in Scottish and Appalachian gospel music. He described the style as a spontaneous call and response form of a cappella singing that emphasizes the raw power of the human voice. Wagner noted in a press release that people seem to really like the single Weakened, which includes a six-piece choir and castanets as the only percussion on the entire record. The album follows the band's 2022 release titled The Bible.