Ezra Furman’s New Album Announcement
Ezra Furman has revealed her 10th studio album titled “Goodbye Small Head,” featuring the newly released single “Grand Mal.” Along with this announcement, she has also provided details regarding her upcoming tour across the UK and North America. Explore all the details below.
The Chicago-based singer-songwriter is set to release her new album on May 12 through Bella Union, marking her first release since 2022’s “All Us Flames.” You can pre-order it here.
- Read more: Ezra Furman – “We are all flame” review: anger, desire, and an unshakable attitude
Album Insights and Themes
Furman gave a preview of the upcoming LP with its cinematic-orchestral single, Grand Mal. The song is accompanied by a music video directed by Eleanor Petri, which premiered at 17:00 GMT today (February 13).
In expressing “Goodbye, Small Head,” Furman wrote an extensive biography for the project, describing it as “an orchestral emo test in a rock landscape sprinkled with samples.”
The album was recorded in her hometown of Chicago and produced by her longtime collaborator, Brian Pike.
“Goodbye, Small Head is the title of this record. It features 12 songs, each exploring experiences of complete loss of control, whether it involves weakness, illness, mysticism, BDSM, drugs, broken hearts, or simply living in a sick society with open eyes,” she shared.
“These songs shine from overload. They don’t depict someone losing their grip; they dive into that person’s heart. Writing these songs is a reworking of the famous proclamation by William Wordsworth that ‘poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.’ I can resonate with that, except for the tranquility part,” Furman explained.
Furman added, “This poetry, my poetry, emerged amidst a storm. It was crafted at the edge. (I made adjustments once I found safety again).”
“The band and I shared many notes that were very communal, using the first-person plural: we, ours. I aimed to exist and foster a shared space with my audience, creating hymns to care for one another in the dark. However, there comes a time when one must be alone in the room to work through it. And you need music for those times,” she elaborated.
Furman expressed that this upcoming LP “reflects a band reaching a new peak of our abilities,” adding, “If I were a music journalist, I’d define it as an orchestral emo project dedicated to samples. Thankfully, I’m not a music journalist!”
“I envision this music as cinematic and intense. A friend remarked that it resembles “The Cool Sound Creation of the 1997 film,” and I couldn’t be more pleased with that description. For the first time, I’ve incorporated a small string section in eight out of twelve tracks and utilized samples—nothing new, just uncredited singing that Sam stumbled across online, beautifully cut into memorable fragments,” she stated.
“Furthermore, this album showcases something that has become nearly an anachronism: a band playing real instruments for over a decade, intuitively connected as musicians. We’re four players in the room together, fully aware of how to respond to one another,” she continued.
Furman noted, “We recorded in Chicago with the production of Brian Cola; a return to my city and my origin producer, as Deck produced my first Rock’n’Roll records many years ago (“Killing the Doors” (2007) and “Inside the Man” (2008) with Ezra Furman and Harpuna).”
“In a sense, I think I aimed to return to a youthful mindset when the intensity, fear, and emotions of life were less mediated by adult coping mechanisms. When everything was completely new, without a filter,” she reflected.
The artist plans to embark on a UK tour shortly after the release of “Goodbye, Little Head,” starting with a show at Hackney, London. Following that, she will collaborate with fellow record label artists and perform before appearing at Bearded Theory 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK2QM3GXOCI
Furman is also gearing up for an extensive North American tour this year, with performances scheduled in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Chicago, Portland, and Toronto. Check out the post above for more information.
You can find tickets here (UK) and here (North America). For further details, visit Ezra Furman’s official site.
Tracklist for “Goodbye, Small Head” by Ezra Furman:
1. 'Grand Mal'
2. 'Sudden Storm'
3. 'Jump Out'
4. 'Power of the Moon'
5. “You Should Not Show Weakness”
6. 'Submission'
7. 'Veil Song'
8. 'Slow Burn'
9. 'You Hurt Me, I Hate You'
10. 'Strange Girl'
11. “World of Love and Care”
12. 'I Need an Angel'
https://www.nme.com/news/music/ezra-furman-announces-new-album-goodbye-small-head-with-single-grand-mal-and-uk-and-us-2025-listen-buy-tickets-3837726?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ezra-furman-announces-new-album-goodbye-small-head-with-single-grand-mal-and-uk-and-us-2025-listen-buy-tickets
