Pokey LaFarge has announced a new album, Rhumba Country, which will be out May 10 via New West Records. Co-produced by LaFarge, Chris Seefried and Elliot Bergman, the album is his attempt to capture the sound of pure joy. “There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was,” Pokey says, “but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared.”
As for the album title, Pokey says, “Listening to a lot of music from around the world helped simplify my approach,” siting Jorge Ben as a key influence. “The more you listen to music from around the world, you realize everybody’s got their form of country music. It goes back to why I named the album Rhumba Country in the first place: it’s poking fun at the futility of boxing everything into a few genres, ‘What is folk music? What is country or soul?’ I’ve always bucked at all those boundaries and found it much more exciting to create my own genre.”
The first single is the jubilant, soulful “Sister André,” and we’ve got the premiere of the video, where Pokey plays a delivery man bringing joy to the world via pillows. “‘Sister André’ is a love song for those who are lonely and looking and waiting to love and be loved,” Pokey tells us. “An encouragement to never give up the patient pursuit. It could come at any time! Encouragement in this case comes from Sister André, who inspired this song the day of her passing after 118 years of age.” Watch the video below.
Pokey LaFarge has also announced spring and summer tour dates, including shows in NY-area shows at Woodstock’s Levon Helm Studio on May 3 and Long Island’s Daryl’s House on May 5. Tickets for all dates go on sale Friday, February 16 at 10 AM.
Rhumba Country:
1. One You, One Me
2. For A Night
3. Run Run Run
4. Like A Sailor
5. Sister Andre
6. So Long Chicago
7. It’s Not Over
8. Home Home Home
9. Made To Be Loved
10. You Make My Garden Grow
Pokey LaFarge – 2024 Tour Dates
3/20 & 3/21 – Boise, ID – Treefort Festival
5/3 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studio
5/4 – Washington, DC – Kennedy Center
5/5 – Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House
5/10 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi Fi Annex
5/11 – Bloomington, IL – Castle Theatre
5/12 – Nashville, TN – 3rd and Lindsey
5/14 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
5/15 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater
5/16 – Duluth, MN – The West Theatre
5/18 – Viroqua, WI – Historic Temple Theater
5/30 – Frankfort, KY – The Grand Theatre
5/31 – Pittsburgh, PA – Three Rivers Festival
6/1 – Cincinnati, OH – Memorial Hall
6/2 – Columbia, MO – Rose Park
6/4 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
6/6 – Ft Collins, CO – Washington’s
6/7 – Denver, CO – Bluebird
6/8 – Salt Lake City, UT – Fort Desolation
6/10 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater
6/11 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
6/12 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
6/14 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
6/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
6/21-6/23 – Mount Salon, VA – Red Wing Festival
8/9-8/11 – Lyons, CO – Rocky Mountain Folk Festival
8/16 – Devon, UK – Beautiful Days
8/17 – Brighton, UK – Chalk
8/18 – Birmingham, UK – Castle & Falcon
8/20 – Liverpool, UK – Philharmonic
8/21 – Dublin, IE – Whelans
8/22 – Belfast, UK – Ulster Sports Club
8/23 – Edinburgh, UK – La Belle Angel
8/24 – Buckinghamshire, UK – Towersey Festival
8/25 – Leicestershire, UK – The Long Road
