Anderson East reckons with a collective need for clarity in “Drugs,” the funky new release from his upcoming album Maybe We Never Die. The follow-up to 2018’s Encore, Maybe We Never Die will come out August 20th.
Veering away from the retro R&B sounds that have been a mainstay of his albums, East cooks up a bass-driven disco groove for “Drugs” that’s accented by theremin and perky flute runs. The Alabama native adopts a silky falsetto for most of the tune, pondering the eternal difficulty of facing reality. “’Cause the world behind our eyes is better in disguise,” he sings, “so we try to keep the feelings numb.”
East wrote the song with Aaron Raitiere after thinking about all of the ways people prevent themselves from being present or otherwise obsess in unhealthy ways. “I feel like that song, that was the hardest one to get right, because it’s definitely not a glorification of drugs,” he said in a release. “If anything, it’s a hardened look at yourself inward.”
For its serious theme, “Drugs” comes with a lighthearted video. East, dressed in a tan jacket and slacks, cruises around in something that looks like a mid-Eighties Pontiac Sunbird and encounters folks in a series of chemically altered stupors. He tries to raise red flags, but the people keep stumbling on new ways to enhance their realities.
East recently announced his Maybe We Never Die Tour, which gets underway October 13th in Mobile, Alabama, with supporting performers on select dates including Foy Vance, Bendigo Fletcher, and Savannah Conley. Tickets go on sale May 21st at 10 a.m. local time.
May We Never Die Tour dates:
October 13 – Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
October 15 – Dallas, TX @ Venue TBA
October 16 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
October 17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
October 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
October 23 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory
October 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Filmore
October 26 – Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club Crown Room
October 28 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
October 29 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
October 30 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
October 31 – Vancouver, Canada @ Rickshaw Theatre
November 2 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
November 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Commonwealth
November 5 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
November 6 – Fort Collins, CO @ Venue TBA
November 12 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
November 30 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
December 1 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
December 3 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
December 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
December 5 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
December 7 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
December 8 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
December 10 – Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theatre
December 11 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
December 12 – Chattanooga, TN @ Walker Theatre
December 14 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
December 15 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
December 17 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
December 18 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
January 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
January 14 – Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore
January 15 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
January 18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
January 21 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
January 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
January 23 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater
January 25 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
January 26 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
January 28 – Boston, MA @ Paradise
February 1 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
February 2 – Toronto, Canada @ Danforth Music Hall
February 4 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury