The New Pornographers
On The Former Site Of, the tenth studio album from the acclaimed supergroup The New Pornographers, ten short stories of people at personal and societal extremes are collected as meticulously crafted pop songs. The record was first crafted by frontperson A.C. Newman in his home studio before being brought to the band, composed of Newman, Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins and Todd Fancey. The group is joined for the first time by storied session drummer Charley Drayton (Divinyls, The Rolling Stones, Fiona Apple). Josh Wells (Destroyer, Black Mountain) will join as the touring drummer for the band’s upcoming dates in the spring.
Of the inspiration behind the album title, Newman notes, “The Former Site Of is a reference to various road signs that I’ve seen in upstate New York. There is a sign near the Ashokan Reservoir that reads “the former site of West Hurley”. That intrigued me. What happened to the town of West Hurley? Around 100 years ago, a number of small NY state towns were forced to leave, sell their land, so that their towns could be flooded and become reservoirs, a source of water for New York City. I was fascinated by the history, the towns that were almost wiped from history. It felt like a good starting place for an album. We all have parts of our lives that are gone.”
The New Pornographers have released ten studio albums, including their classic debut, Mass Romantic, reissued in 2021 to celebrate its 21st anniversary. 2023’s Continue as a Guest, marked their debut for Merge Records; New York Magazine lauded, “The New Pornographers are a massive unit bursting with unique and intersecting talents…the band’s ninth album serves another helping of their signature dish,” while Brooklyn Vegan named it “one of The New Pornographers’ most lush albums, thick with synthesizers and horns and harmonies…their unique chemistry is as distinct and appealing as ever.”
