Florida has grown weirder over the last four years, and Have Gun, Will Travel (HGWT) is set to stir things up a little bit with a new album due on July 12 via the band’s very own Mile Wide Records imprint.
Strange Chemistry marks the Tampa Bay Americana band’s first outing since 2015’s Science From An Easy Chair, and it finds the crew — singer-guitarist Matt Burke, brother and bassist Daniel Burke, guitarist Scott Anderson, drummer JP Beaubien, and keyboardist Edward Stork — arriving with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
The 10-track album’s lead song, “Blood On Stage,” celebrated local rock clubs and has been teased during live shows in recent months, and a new single, “Against the Grain,” adds some synth to HGWT’s sound while continuing to embrace the outsiders who make life worth living.
“Me and you we’re the same/we go against the grain,” Burke sings in a new video for the song. Directed by Ryan Seybold and Oscar Perez, the three-and-a-half minute clip finds HGWT in a nightclub where the band is playing onstage as two women approach the bar and brandish a weapon.
It’s pretty creepy to stare down the barrel of a loaded gun, but we’ll let you watch the rest of the video to see what unfolds. Have a look below, and then catch HGWT at one of five Southeastern album release shows including three in Florida (tour dates below).
Check out the new music on Spotify and iTunes. Pre-orders are happening on Bandcamp, and you can call your local record store to see if it will carry the release.
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Have Gun, Will Travel Tour Dates
07/11 – Gainesville, FL at Loosey's Downtown
07/12 – Orlando, FL at Will's Pub*
07/13 – Tampa, FL at Crowbar Ybor*
07/19 – Atlanta, GA at Smith's Olde Bar
07/20 – Nashville, TN at The High Watt
*w/Lauren Morrow and Fayroy
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This article appears in May 30 – Jun 6, 2019.