The Church (Photo by Hugh Stewart)
The Church, the Australian psych-rock masters fronted by vocalist Steve Kilbey, recently released THE HYPNOGOGUE, the band’s 26th album, via Communicating Vessels.
Now, The Church return to The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, for a show on Tuesday, April 4!
Loaded with “jingle jangle guitars and mountainous melodies — psychedelic and grandiose, cinematic and poised” (Backseat Mafia) which “carries on mesmerizingly and you enjoy the ride, losing track of time much as you would while dozing off to sleep” (The Big Takeover), The Hypnogogue is a visionary album with a narrative thread — a first for the band who is entering their fifth decade of making music with all the fierce creative energy of their early years.
The three released singles from the album — “The Hypnogogue,” “C’est La Vie,” and “No Other You” — have propelled the band forward, launching them into a new era. “We’ve also never had a concept album before,” said vocalist/bassist/founder STEVE KILBEY. “It is the most ‘teamwork record’ we have ever had. Everyone in the band is so justifiably proud of this record and everyone helped to make sure it was as good as it could be. Personally, I think it’s in our top three records.”
Watch the official music video for “The Hypnogogue” by The Church on YouTube:
Starting out in 1980, The Church have continued to expand their highly cinematic and atmospheric blend of indie rock, shimmering post-punk, icy dreampop and psychedelic post-rock without any retread. Their expansive music career yielded a string of hit songs including “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” “The Unguarded Moment,” and “Almost With You,” amongst others and their equally stellar live shows have been deemed “spectacular” by MAGNET Magazine, citing their “dreamy psychedelia that will daub your evening with shades of paisley.”
Their most recent USA performance at 2022’s Cruel World Festival alongside Blondie, Bauhaus, and Morrissey was heralded as “a subtle delight… that captivated the late afternoon audience” (Orange County Register), “providing the perfect soundtrack” (Rock Cellar Magazine).
The 2022 epic five-piece line-up is bassist, vocalist, and founder Steve Kilbey; with long-time collaborator Tim Powles, drummer and producer across 17 albums since ’94; guitarist Ian Haug formerly of Australian rock icons Powderfinger, who joined the band in 2013; and Jeffrey Cain (Remy Zero), touring multi-instrumentalist who is now a full-time member of The Church since the departure of Peter Koppes in early 2020. The band have also recruited Ashley Naylor, a long-time member of Paul Kelly’s touring band and one of Australia’s finest and most respected guitarists (Even, The Grapes, The Stems).
The Church
The Birchmere
Tuesday, April 4
Show @ 7:30pm
$39.50
All ages