Announced on November 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, The White Buffalo has released his highly anticipated eighth studio album titled Year of the Dark Horse on Friday, November 11 via Snakefarm Records. Year of the Dark Horse is available digitally worldwide now; purchase the new album everywhere here.
The White Buffalo is in the midst of a U.S. headlining tour which hits Dallas (Deep Ellum Art Co, Fri Nov. 11), Austin (3Ten Austin City Limits Live, Sat. Nov. 12), Houston (House of Blues- Bronze Peacock, Sun. Nov. 13), Santa Fe (Tumbleroots Brewery, Tue. Nov. 15), Flagstaff (Orpheum Theatre, Wed. Nov. 16), Los Angeles (The Regent Theater, Thur. Dec. 1), San Francisco (The Fillmore, Fri. Dec. 2), Sacramento (Ace of Spades, Sun. Dec. 4), Portland (Wonder Ballroom, Tue. Dec 6), Seattle (The Showbox, Wed. Dec. 7), Missoula (The Wilma Theatre, Fri. Dec. 9), Bozeman (The ELM, Sat. Dec 10), Boise (Knitting Factory, Sun. Dec. 11), Reno (Cargo Concert Hall, Tue. Dec 13), Fresno (Strummer’s, Thur. Dec. 15), San Diego (Observatory-North Park, Fri. Dec. 16), and Santa Ana (The Observatory, Sat. Jan 14). Expect more dates for 2023 to be announced soon; for all tour current dates for The White Buffalo, visit: here.
The White Buffalo has premiered the new song and video for “Kingdom For A Fool” on Relix. Watch and share “Kingdom For A Fool” exclusively on Relix, here.
On The Year of the Dark Horse, the Emmy-nominated, Oregon-born, and Southern California-bred artist The White Buffalo aka Jake Smith, teamed with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Fidlar) at his Neon Cross studio in Nashville. For singer-songwriter-guitarist Smith, it was time to take the less-traveled path and embark on a voyage of discovery. Bassist, keyboard player, and guitarist Christopher Hoffee and drummer Matt Lynott added to the recordings and round out the group on the road.
“You think we’re a country band? A folk band? Americana? Rock? What the fuck are you gonna say now?!” says Smith. “With ‘Year of the Dark Horse,’ I wanted something outside of what I’ve ever done. I wanted to open up. Do something dangerous. I’m hard to put into a singular genre as it is, but now I really wanted to take away any kind of preconception or pigeon-holing.” Smith adds, “And don’t ask me, cos I don’t know what it is! It’s a genre-bending thing–there’s elements and influences from ELO, Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circus, pirate music, yacht rock, and I’m driving and pushing some of these numbers in a way I’ve never done before.”
Year of the Dark Horse which American Songwriter hailed as a “tilt-a-whirl of melting soundscapes,” and a “funhouse of melodies that shapeshift in your ears” is roughly based around the shifting of the seasons paralleled with the shifting of a relationship. Smith’s evocative storytelling and emotionally weighted songs allow the imagination of the listener to play an important part throughout; the music builds on a tale of debauchery (of the drunken variety) and blame, of love and loss, a life lived against the odds, the whole thing set in one lunar year, following our anti-hero through the highs and lows of the seasons.
From highlights “Kingdom For A Fool,” “52 Card Pickup,” and “Donna,” Year of the Dark Horse offers an invigorating and wonderfully unpredictable listen. A collection of 12 musical vignettes individual yet constant in flow, it is The White Buffalo’s most ambitious and well-rounded work to date, with the full scope of Smith’s songwriting craft on view.
Watch and share The White Buffalo videos for “Not Today” and “Winter Act 2,” both below:
Year of the Dark Horse Tracklisting:
“Not Today”
“Winter Act 2”
“Kingdom For A Fool”
“Love Will Never Come/Spring’s Song”
“She Don’t Know That I Lie”
“C’mon Come Up Come Out”
“Love Song #3”
“Heart Attack”
“Am I Still A Child”
“52 Card Pickup”
“Donna”
“Life Goes On”
The White Buffalo On Tour:
Nov. 11 – Deep Ellum Art Co. – Dallas, TX
Nov. 12 – 3Ten Austin City Limits Live – Austin, TX
Nov. 13 – House of Blues – Bronze Peacock – Houston, TX
Nov. 15 – Tumbleroots Brewery – Santa Fe, NM
Nov. 16 – Orpheum Theatre – Flagstaff, AZ
Dec. 1 – The Regent Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 2 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Dec. 4 – Ace of Spades – Sacramento, CA
Dec. 6 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
Dec. 7 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
Dec. 9 – The Wilma Theatre – Missoula, MT
Dec. 10 – The ELM – Bozeman, MT
Dec. 11 – Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
Dec. 13 – Cargo Concert Hall – Reno, NV
Dec. 15 – Strummer’s – Fresno, CA
Dec. 16 – Observatory – North Park – San Diego, CA
Jan. 14 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
About The White Buffalo:
A powerful and prolific storyteller through his songcraft, Jake Smith, aka The White Buffalo’s body of work includes prominent song and soundtrack placements in the worlds of TV and Film including the TV series “Sons Of Anarchy,” “This Is Us,” “Californication,” “The Punisher,” “The Terminal List,” and the films “Shelter,” “Safe Haven” and “West of Memphis.” The White Buffalo’s dark blues and light Americana-roots-tinged folk provided a soundtrack of tunes for the entire seven season run of the FX original series Sons of Anarchy, which included 11 songs overall. The last song in the series finale for SOA “Come Join The Murder,” earned The White Buffalo his first-ever Emmy-Award Nomination. NPR’s All Songs Considered hailed The White Buffalo as an “amazing storyteller,” the Los Angeles Times added “Smith’s baritone echoes with villains and misfits, drunks, and philistines,” while Classic Rock magazine declared TWB “America’s darkest country/blues export…imagine a blue collar Tom Waits, or Nick Cave pumping gas in a station just off the highway.” The White Buffalo is currently in the midst of a U.S. headlining tour–with more 2023 dates to be announced soon–in support of their new album Year of the Dark Horse, released November 11 on Snakefarm Records, here.
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