M. Ward Announces New Album ‘Migration Stories,’ Lead Single, and 2020 Spring Tour

Portland, OR-based musician M. Ward has confirmed that his newest (and tenth) album, titled Migration Stories, will be released on April 3rd via Anti Records. Accompanying the album announcement is the lead single “Migration Of Souls,” and a spring 2020 North American tour. For his latest studio recording, the writer, producer and performer travelled to Quebec, Canada where he recorded eleven tracks inspired by tales of human migration. Ward worked on Migration Stories with Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire fame, and Teddy Impakt. Production and mixing were handled by Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine).

Commenting on the new music and stories behind the songs, Ward noted, “Some time went by, the stories wove together and I remember them now closer to characters in a dream of how people could treat each other than any kind of front-page news realism. I think music subconsciously – whether writing or listening – is a filter for me. Helping to process all the bad news into something new to build from. Some records to me are like self-fulfilling prophecies – visualizing change to wish something into being. Those records inspired this one.”

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Migration Stories Track Listing:

1. Migration Of Souls
2. Heaven’s Nail and Hammer
3. Coyote Mary’s Traveling Show
4. Independent Man
5. Stevens’ Snow Man
6. Unreal City
7. Real Silence
8. Along the Santa Fe Trail #
9. Chamber Music
0. Torch
11. Rio Drone

# Al Dubin, Hugh Williams

2020 Tour Dates:

04/17/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
04/18/20 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
04/19/20 – Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
04/22/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/24/20 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
04/26/20 – Woodstock, NY @ Levon Helm Studios
04/28/20 – Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt
04/29/20 – Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall
05/01/20 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
05/02/20 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
05/03/20 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
05/14/20 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
05/16/20 – Seattle, WA @ The Neptune Theatre
05/17/20 – Tacoma, WA @ Elks Temple
05/19/20 – Sonoma, CA @ Gundlach Bundschu Winery – Redwood Barn
05/20/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
05/22/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater

Artwork for ‘Migration Stories’ by M. Ward