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Down In Heaven: 10th Anniversary Edition is in record stores today!

Taking in the reunion shows in Chicago this past week reaffirmed everything that first made us fall in love with Twin Peaks. No band commands attention, or fills a room with joy, quite like this one.

At Thalia, it was striking how few phones dotted the crowd. It felt like everyone was in agreement that this wasn’t an experience that should be mediated by a screen. The crowd was present, because this band is uniquely present. Twin Peaks poured every ounce of themselves into these shows. They booked them themselves. Set up the livestreams themselves. Had their friends run the live visuals. Make the merch, sing & play. Then a different, hand-picked opener joined them each night before Peaks tore through a different set, each littered with crowd pleasers and deep cuts (that still pleased the crowd).

It felt radical. In a world of AI garbage (hi, UMG) and social media loneliness, Twin Peaks is “real people” music. Loving this band means being part of a community of actual human beings, all connected to the dudes on stage and each other and a canon of rock music that stretches back decades and decades.

They called the final Friday night show (added at the last minute & sold out in mere hours) “The Angel’s Share,” a coinage born during the making of the record about how people who helped with a specific task got a little something extra, something special just for them. In 2016 I don’t think anyone knew how apt that phrase would become. Twin Peaks *is* an angel’s share for everyone who still bothers to care about art being real and palpable and living, loud on stage, brazenly authentic, and fierce in its protection and nurturing of a human community. The people who love this band DESERVE this band. And vice versa.

We’re proud they trusted us to release this music. And, in the afterglow of eight, errr NINE, sold out nights at Thalia Hall, we hope you’ll join us today in celebrating this beautiful record from 2016, Down In Heaven, out again today on a brand new parchment re-issue pressing with two limited edition flexi discs. Grab it from your local record store or Bandcamp.

Last year, beloved Chicago DIY institution Twin Peaks emerged from a six year slumber to announce a pair of shows at their hometown Thalia Hall. Two quickly turned into four, then six, then eight – and, well, they all sold out immediately. Last week the band announced NE-HI, Lifeguard, comedian Carmen Christopher, Post Animal, Finn Wolfhard & more as support. The reunion shows were billed as a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the band’s touchstone 2016 full-length, Down In Heaven. So, what we’re about to say, should surprise exactly no one:

Twin Peaks Down In Heaven: 10th Anniversary Edition arrives May 22nd!

This special reissue is limited to 1,500 units on parchment-colored vinyl. Each copy includes two rarities from the sessions on limited-edition colored flexi-discs: “Back Door” (Blue) and “Who’s It Gonna Be” (Yellow). The anniversary edition hits record store shelves on May 22nd, but you can secure your copy by pre-ordering right now.

For the true Peax diehards, we’re also bundling the vinyl with some extras. It features the Down In Heaven b-sides, “Disappear” and “I Don’t Wanna Miss You,” on 7-inch vinyl, plus one of the original 2016 coloring books designed by Clay, previously only available at a handful of record stores around the US a decade ago.

And if you’re one of the lucky few thousand folks to secure a ticket to one of the Thalia shows, there’ll be something even more unique waiting for you there. The Shuga Edition features a clear PVC picture frame cover with the iconic collage artwork layered over an original, unedited jacket photo, finished with a custom obi strip. This edition will be available exclusively at the merch booth during the band’s residency, alongside other limited DIH10 collectibles, with remaining stock to follow at Shuga.

If you missed out on tickets to Thalia, the dudes have a solution for you. They’re livestreaming two nights, May 18th and 19th. Individual tickets are $20 and the 2-night bundle is a discounted $35. Chicago not in the cards for you? Watch from your couch. Pre-order tickets here.

In what can only be described as the best thing to happen in literal years, Twin Peaks are officially back. Last year they announced a pair of reunion shows at their iconic hometown venue Thalia Hall, which somehow turned into an eight night run of sell outs. We’ve got some surprises up our sleeves (which we’ll be announcing soon – like, maybe next week?), but the band announced support for each night yesterday. It’s the most perfectly Chicago list, featuring our very own NE-HI coming out of their own hiatus for night one, along with comedian Carmen Christopher, VV Lightbody (who played on Side A), Finn Wolfhard, Post Animal and more. Full list below.

05-14 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/NE-HI
05-15 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Lifeguard
05-16 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Carmen Christopher (comedy), Pool Holography
05-17 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Carmen Christopher (comedy), Neptune’s Core
05-18 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Free Range
05-19 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/VV Lightbody
05-20 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Finn Wolfhard
05-21 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall w/Post Animal

One of the more (un?)surprising things about Twin Peaks is that they’re at their best when they’re being spontaneous. Sweet ’17 Singles turned into one of their most inspired collection of songs, and it was recorded off the cuff in disparate sessions throughout a calendar year. The new EP, Side A, shares a similar feeling of spontaneity, written and partially recorded in quarantine throughout the first half of 2020. It is, without question, one of the most potent distillations of what makes Twin Peaks such an unflappably great band: four songs, four different songwriters, four distinct sonic directions, that somehow manage to pack more punch when consumed together. There’s the hi-wire rock ‘n’ roll of Clay’s opener “What’s The Matter,” the pensive, gauzy, sax-adorned comedown of Jack’s “Whistle in the Wind (End of Everything),” the timeless, Harrison-esque guitar blissout of Colin’s “Any More Than You Want,” and the krautrock vision quest of Cadien’s EP-closer “Above/Below.” All the while, Connor’s work behind the kit grounds each tune exactly where it needs to be on Side A’s course. Look, we’re the label, but when we say this is peak Twin Peaks, we’re not making it up.

Today the whole EP is available to hear everywhere. As we mentioned before, 10″s are coming in the fall (available for pre-order here). But to celebrate the digital release, the boys enlisted longtime collaborators Weird Life Films to memorialize “Whistle in the Wind” with a music video.

“I came to writing this song around the same time my girlfriend had tested positive for the antibody test, meaning we had seemingly both contracted the virus early in quarantine,” says bassist Jack Dolan. “I remember having a false sense of security because of that, hopeful in what it meant for us. Are we safe now? Did we really just live through and survive something like this? Is life normal for us now? That brief moment ended up preceding so much more than we could’ve expected and this ‘impenetrable’ feeling I had then has since faded. It’s about coming to terms with a ‘new’ normal. The vulnerability it takes to stand up for the people around us, the soul searching and perspective it takes to honestly make sense of the current moment that will continue to  evolve with or without you. It’s about breaking free from the safety of your own comfort zone and being honest with yourself about where you stand right now. We all need to take care of ourselves and each other more than ever, just don’t give up on the moment.”

And, not to be distracted from the moment at hand, the band has also pledged to donate 100% of profits on their Blotter L/S tee to Brave Space Alliance, a Black and Trans led LGBTQ Center on the south side of Chicago. The move is part of their recently-launched monthly initiative to direct all profits from a specific item in their online store to a new NPO worth supporting in their community and beyond. We’re proud of the music, but even more proud of the humans in this band. Please support if you’re able.

This just in from Twin Peaks Dudes HQ, four new songs exist(!) and they’re coming on a limited edition 10″ this fall. In the meantime, you can hear “What’s The Matter” today anywhere you stream music, or get all four songs if you pre-order the vinyl. Vinyl is shipping in early October, but the digital EP will be available everywhere on July 3rd.

Additionally, all proceeds from the sale of their new tee will be going to Black Lives Matter Chicago as part of the band’s pledge to support an organization fighting for racial justice each month.

The band puts it all best themselves in a note they put out this morning:

Today Twin Peaks unveil the music video for “Unfamiliar Sun,” a fan favorite from this year’s Lookout Low. The song is about navigating life while struggling with depression. Incredibly relatable. Its accompanying video, directed and illustrated by Wyatt Grant, pairs the band with colorful images displayed via a low-tech projector.

“It’s about trying to find beauty and love in the day to day, week to week, season to season in an otherwise ugly world,” says bassist Jack Dolan, who wrote the song. “Still, it’s meant to be hopeful. Nobody is or should ever feel truly alone. I want to thank Wyatt Grant for helping me visualize this song with his wonderful artwork and his genuine understanding of the messages this song attempts to convey. I would also like to thank the entire Weird Life Films Crew for once again delivering a beautiful finished product and for helping us organize and execute this little project. The world could always use more empathy, don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody you love.”

Additionally, the band announces that following their spring headlining tour, they will support Car Seat Headrest on the road later this summer (tickets are on sale Friday, Feb. 28th at 10am local time – check the artist page here). Then, they’ll return to Chicago’s Union Park to play Pitchfork Music Festival for the third time!

Preceding their North American tour later this spring, Twin Peaks – “one of Chicago’s most essential live acts” (GQ) – present two new singles/lyric videos, “Cawfee” and “St. Vulgar St.” Following their most recent album, Lookout Low, the two tracks are available digitally today and as a limited 7” on February 14th. All profits from the 7” purchased from the band’s webstore will be donated to WIRES to support rescue efforts for wildlife impacted by the Australian bush fires.

The band recorded the tracks in their studio with Andrew Humphrey at Treehouse Records in Chicago. “St. Vulgar St.” opens with dulcet guitar and staccato percussion, and “is inspired a bit by the Martin Bell movie Streetwise,” says Clay Frankel. “Cawfee”  is introspective, and features bright keyboard and anthemic guitar. “For ‘Cawfee,’ I’d like to shout out my good buddy Andre Baptista, who helped with lyrics in a little backstage room in Milwaukee. Enjoy.”  Both accompanying lyric videos feature James Swanberg.

“The accompanying lyric videos were a rather last minute idea meant to answer the question ‘is there any way for a lyric video to not be dumb?’” says Cadien Lake James. “Lyric videos are funny because they ride this weird line where if it’s too simple, say text on a screen, it’s boring, but it’s not meant to be too nice — the stakes are meant to be lower. Our friend James Swanberg is an incredible performer and a scene figure, and it occurred to us it might be funny to have him try to karaoke the songs without really knowing them. He did great!”

The “Cawfee” b/w “St. Vulgar St.” 7” is available for pre-order exclusively via the band’s webstore and Bandcamp. 

Today Twin Peaks share a new standalone single, “Our World.” The track comes only a day after our boys kicked off their North American tour (tickets here) and follows the “intimate country-soul” (Chicago Tribune) of Lookout Low, their new album released earlier this year via Grand Jury (available in our shop). “Our World,” a song born of the same sessions as Lookout,  is uplifting and melodic, and rich with warm guitar. Cadien Lake James explains further:

“One day last year amidst some moment of (the constant) political turmoil or another, I read a tweet Connor posted encouraging all that despite the current state of affairs, ‘it’s still our world.’ I wrote the lyrics for ‘Our World’ directly after. Despite not fitting into the sequence of Lookout Low, it’s one of our favorites we recorded and we’re happy to share it now.”

It’s been a pretty sentimental few weeks around these parts.

Just last month we celebrated the fifth anniversary of the first record we ever released at Grand Jury: Twin Peaks’ Wild Onion. And today we have the distinct honor of releasing the latest from the very first band we ever worked with. Lookout Low is a treasure — ten songs, tracked live in Wales earlier this year with the incomparable Ethan Johns, showcasing a band at their absolute peak. We’ve teased a few singles, but this is a record’s record, so block out some time and listen front to back right now. Or one better? Hit your local record store and snag a copy on vinyl — we’ve got them on electric blue in Chicago, orange swirl at the indies around the US, or a trusty black from anywhere else.

To celebrate the release, our boys also just dropped a new music video for “Oh Mama,” the most relentless and rambunctious tune on the new record. The video, which you can watch above, was directed by Alec Basse & Max Moore.

Last night was the first live show in support of the record. It kind of hurts that we weren’t there, but there’ll be plenty of opportunities for us (and everyone else) to catch Twin Peaks all over the globe this year and next.

Run it again.

Today we release the second single from Twin Peaks‘  forthcoming Lookout Low (coming 9/13!). It’s called “Ferry Song,” and it’s a huge leap forward for resident Peaks wunderkind Colin Croom. He wrote the track in Spring of 2018 in New Orleans, staying at Algiers Point and taking the ferry to the city each day. The official audio upload on YouTube is built from archival footage shot in New Orleans in the 60s. This one waltzes with guitar and ramshackle brass, and Colin finds a part of his vocal range he’s only hinted at before. But that’s enough from us. Just press play above. 

And a reminder: you can pre-order the album in our shop right now or snag tickets to the band’s upcoming tour over on the artist page.