Folk-rock sensation The Avett Brothers announced on Thursday that they will be releasing another full-length album this fall. The album, titled "Magpie and the Dandelion" will follow last year's album "The Carpenter." The band also unveiled the first single off the album,"Another Is Waiting," on NPR yesterday.
The band, composed of brothers Scott and Seth Avett, Joe Kwon, Jacob Edwards and Bob Crawford, collaborated with producer Rick Rubin yet again for their latest album. Billboard reports that the band revealed in a letter to fans that the upcoming album was recorded at the same time as their last album. According to Nielsen SoundScan, their last album has sold 312,000 copies so far.
"While we were working on 'The Carpenter,' we were so inspired that we wrote another record as well," the band wrote. "During those sessions, we just felt it. Working with Rick Rubin again, we tapped into something very special. It's like everybody was in the same zone."
The North Carolina-bred band shared that the album's title reflects the exuberant feelings portrayed in the record. "If you think about a 'Magpie,' it's a bird from the crow family," the letter reads. "You can see them everywhere, and they've got this strange grace. And, we all know what a dandelion is. It reminds you of being a kid and watching a flower come apart on a summer day. There's a youthful wonder in that. Those kinds of feelings live and breathe inside this album."
Although the album conveys feelings of hopeful youthfulness, the first track released off the album has some darker themes. "Another Is Waiting" touches upon current societal issues like "doctored pictures" in the media that convey a warped sense of reality, as well as being stuck on consumerist conveyor belts.
NPR describes the song as: "Fueled by sweet banjo strums, it's catchy, concise and sweet, with a thoughtful and subtle message about rejecting shallow pursuits and staying open to emotional connections with others. So much of what's lovable about both the band and this song, and so much of what separates The Avett Brothers from other folk-rock acts, revolves around the group's persistent lyrical fascination with living a noble and meaningful life."
The Avett Brothers will be touring through November, including appearances at the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, the Ottawa Folk Festival and the Virgin Mobile Freefest.
"Magpie and Dandelion" will be released on Oct. 15.
Click here to listen to "Another Is Waiting."