Joanna Newsom appeared on "Later ... with Jools Holland" this week for her debut television appearance in support of her latest album, Divers. The eclectic modern folk singer/songwriter performed her mystical track "Leaving the City" for the studio audience.
The singer and harpist is seen wielding an elegant harp on the dark stage, hitting every note and vocal at its intended moment, without skipping a beat. The audience remains so quiet that you could nearly hear a pin drop in between Newsom's flawless musical notes.
During a recent interview with Stereogum, the artist discussed her vision for her music. "I feel like people in general would prefer to have their own experiences getting into the songs," said Newsom. "The way the songs are written—the references and the double meanings, those sorts of things—for me, those give life to the music. Those are for me. Those make the air breathable and the ground solid underfoot. They create a realness and a substance in the songs, but they're not what the songs are necessarily about."
"Leaving the City" is one of the best songs among 11 studio tracks that appear on Divers, which is out now via Drag City. The singer and wife of actor Andy Samberg will continue her European tour in support of the new record tonight in Barcelona. The European leg will continue through the end of November before she returns to the U.S. for a string of tour dates here in the states prior to the end of the year.
Joanna Newsom 2015 Tour Dates:
11/04: Barcelona, ES @ Barts
11/05: Berlin, DE @ Admiralspalast
11/07: Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli
11/08: Paris, FR @ Salle Gaveau
11/09: London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
12/06: Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/07: Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
12/09: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
12/10: Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
12/12: Munhall, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
12/13: Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall at Babeville
12/14: Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
12/15: Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
12/16: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
12/17: St. Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald Theater
12/18: Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre
