The Avett Brothers Unveil Details of Upcoming Album 'True Sadness'

The Avett Brothers have revealed what we can expect from their upcoming album, True Sadness, due out June 24 on American/Republic Records.

Frontman Seth Avett said the follow-up to 2013's Magpie and the Dandelion was influenced by Queen, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimmie Rodgers, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Gillian Welch, Aretha Franklin, Walt Disney, Pink Floyd, Kings of Convenience, calypso of the 1950’s and country of the 1930’s.

If that sounds a bit confusing, don't be disheartened. Avett gets all Betsy Ross in enthusing over the record, describing it as a "patchwork quit" in which he and his bandmates have "stitched together the boldest red and the calmest green, polka dots and stripes, the roughest denim and the smoothest velveteen. They came together because they are the best patterns we have and because each of us brought our own fabric to the quilting frame."

Still not helping much? Well, you'll just have to wait for the thing to come out then. Or you can read the open letter Avett posted on the band's website, which goes into more detail about the personal and artistic shifts the members have gone through over the last few years and how they figured into the making of the album. The first single will be "Ain't No Man," and if you catch the Avetts on one of their SXSW shows you might just hear it. If not, they'll be spending a good chunk of this spring and summer crisscrossing the country on tour, so there'll be plenty of other opportunities.

Check out the cover art and tour dates below.

American/Republic Records

The Avett Brothers Tour Dates
3/16 Austin, TX – “Music is Universal” @ JW Marriott Austin (SXSW)
3/17 Austin, TX – Republic Records Showcase @ The Scoot Inn (SXSW)
4/7 Wilmington, NC – Azalea Festival
4/8 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
4/9 Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
4/10 Worcester, MA – DCU Arena*
4/19 Fort Wayne, IN – Embassy Theatre
4/21 Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater
4/22 Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater
4/23 Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater
4/29 Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre#
4/30 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre#
5/5 Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater*
5/6 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena^
5/7 Alpharetta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre^
5/12 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Outdoors
5/14 Philadelphia, PA – Mann Center
5/15 Fairfax, VA – Eagle Bank Arena^
6/2 to 6/5 Hunter, NY – Mountain Jam Festival
6/3 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Concert Pavilion
6/4 Baltimore, MD – Pier Six Concert Pavilion
6/9 St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena*
6/10 Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Arena
6/11 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center*
6/14 Deadwood, SD – Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center
6/16 Muskogee, OK – G Fest
6/18 Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavilion
6/19 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater
7/4 Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point
7/7 Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
7/8 Chautauqua, NY – Chautauqua Amphitheater
7/9 Toledo, OH – Toledo Zoo Amphitheater
7/15 Louisville, KY – Forecastle Festival
7/17 Louisville, KY – Forecastle Festival
7/21 Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
7/22 Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
7/23 Kent, WA – ShoWare Arena
7/25 Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
7/28 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre&
7/29 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre%
7/30 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre!
9/16 Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino Resort^
9/16 to 9/18 Del Mar, CA – aaboo Del Mar