In September, The The released Ensoulment, the band’s first studio album in a quarter century. Now, frontman Matt Johnson has marshaled his collective for a North American tour that arrives at The Anthem in DC on Monday, Oct. 14!
Co-produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey, Ensoulment encompasses characteristic topics ranging from love and sex, war and politics, life and death — to the meaning of what it is to be human in the 21st century. It contains echoes of THE THE’s multifaceted musical past; however, it is richly representative of the mercurial band’s here and now.
Johnson is characteristically unafraid to tackle the emotional complexity inherent in the human condition — intimacy in an age of alienation; democracy in a post-truth age; empire and vassalage; and the inexorable rise of AI — yet the album is equally shot through with hope.
“The last 25 years seem to have flown by don’t they? But finally, the day has arrived for our new album — Ensoulment — to be shared with our wonderful, loyal audience. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it. I’ve been blessed in working with so many wonderful people (both in front of and behind the microphones) with whom I’ve shared much creativity and laughter. We look forward to seeing many of you soon on our forthcoming Ensouled world tour,” Matt said.
Watch the official music video for “Some Days I Drink My Coffee by the Grave of William Blake” by The The on YouTube:
The The was formed by Matt Johnson in 1979 — and the band broke out of the gate as one of the finest post-punk bands of its era: music of long shadows, high hopes, channelled anger, feverish passions, and sweetly disturbing poignancy. It is pop and rock, blues and folk, soul and polemic. It spans alienated electronics to twisted cinematic soundtracks, guitar tumbling swing to crimson ballads, rants, and prayers to diaries and hymns.
In over four decades, The The previously released only five studio albums of original songs — Soul Mining (1983), Infected (1986), Mind Bomb (1989), Dusk (1993), and NakedSelf (2000). Along the way, The The also have released cover albums and film soundtracks.
Many of us fell in love with the music of The The from that 1983 debut album, and the songs “Uncertain Smile” and “This Is the Day” may remain in heavy rotation for us.
Watch The The perform “Uncertain Smile” for Top Pop in 1983 via YouTube:
Now in support of Ensoulment, The The have launched a North American tour beginning in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 11! It concludes on Nov. 8 at The Shrine in Los Angeles. The Ensouled Tour marks the band’s first since their hugely successful The Comeback Special world tour in 2018.
The The visited the USA for a handful of dates in 2018, but their last extensive USA tour was in 1999-2000, when they made it to Baltimore and Philadelphia but not DC. As far as we can tell they were last in DC for 1993 for a date at the Lisner Auditorium (and another show at Merriweather Post Pavilion that same summer).
Buy your tickets for The The at The Anthem online now!
The The
The Anthem
Monday, Oct. 14
Doors @ 7pm
$75/$90.45
All ages