Bry Webb Video Prove Me Wrong Debuts

BRY WEBB’S “PROVE ME WRONG” VIDEO PREMIERES ON THE A.V. CLUB

FREE WILL OUT NOW ON IDÉE FIXE RECORDS

“On Free Will, [Webb] seems to have settled comfortably into his new role as a solo troubadour, offering up a dozen selections of gentle and affecting chamber folk…Stripped of the beefy, full-band arrangements of The Constantines, Webb loses none of his potency. He’s just found a way to channel it without cranking up the volume.”—American Songwriter

“A slightly more pop-savvy collection that’s full of gentle, meditative passages and occasional shards of biting humor…compelling in large part for Webb’s patient,

spellbinding vocal delivery.”—The Believer

“The sound and feel of this music are unmistakable, especially when Webb raises his voice to a weathered howl. If you’ve been missing him as much as I have,

this is straight-up manna.”—Stereogum

“Subtle, understated intonations…”—The Line of Best Fit

“Pastoral flourish…Wilco-esque…breezy”—Twenty Four Bit

The A.V. Club is premiering the video for “Prove Me Wrong” from Bry Webb’s Free Will, out now on Idée Fixe Records. The A.V. Club calls the song “one of the album’s standout tracks,” watch the video here.

Directed by Colin Medley, the video was filmed at The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, where Webb played one of his first shows as a solo artist. “The Sanctuary is located just outside of Guelph, Ontario, on a beautiful farm in Puslinch. It is one of the most serene places I’ve ever been. They give shelter and emotional support to Donkeys who have been abused, abandoned, or otherwise mistreated, and offer them a place to live out their days in peace.” Webb says. “When Colin Medley had the idea to make a music video there, it seemed perfect. Music video making can often be an undignified process for musicians—I’m not really inclined to lip sync my own songs—but putting one of the songs to Maya Bankovic and Colin’s wonderful slow motion shots of these incredibly dignified animals has made me very happy.”

The new album, which premiered exclusively on The New York Times, is the Constantines frontman’s second solo work. In addition to the new release, Sub Pop also reissued Constantines’ seminal Shine A Light on June 10. Originally released in 2003 and since named one of the top 200 records of the 2000s by Pitchfork and often cited as one of the best Canadian records ever, Shine A Light has been out of print on LP since 2007. In addition to his solo tour, Webb will play several dates with The Constantines this summer. Stereogum recently premiered Free Will track “Receive Me,” stream the track here.

The new record follows 2012’s Provider, which American Songwriter called “unpolished, unpretentious and understanding.” The album’s 12 songs, including the title track and cuts called “Prove Me Wrong” and “Fletcher,” are considerations of responsibility, love, work, desire, art and will written with Webb’s two-year-old son in mind. First single “A.M. Blues” can be heard here: http://bit.ly/1mVC1jn.

Free Will was recorded at 6 Nassau Studio in Toronto by Webb and friends including Rich Burnett (lap steel, guitar, vocals), Aaron Goldstein (pedal steel), Anna Ruddick (bass, vocals) and Nathan Lawr (drums). Produced by Jeff McMurrich (Jennifer Castle, Owen Pallett, Sandro Perri) and Webb, the album features guest appearances from the likes of singer Jennifer Castle, pianist Thomas Hammerton and experimental hurdy-gurdy player Ben Grossman.

Of Webb, longtime friend and collaborator Feist says, “I saw him play solo at the Rivoli at one of Jason Collett’s songwriter circle nights maybe eight years ago…I felt like I was seeing Bruce Springsteen do Nebraska or Jeff Buckley, or Dylan, but of my own time.”

Webb, first entered the public eye as lead singer of The Constantines. After the band’s hiatus began in 2010, Webb returned to his one time home of Guelph and began work on Provider, released in 2012 by Idée Fixe. Webb’s artistic endeavors as a solo artist have also included an original song commissioned for “This American Life” and a collaboration with longtime friend Feist on her album Metals as well as scoring the film This Beautiful City, for which his song “Big Smoke” received a Genie Award nomination. Webb has also worked on scoring the Discovery Channel Series “The National Parks Project” with Jim Guthrie, Sarah Harmer and filmmaker Scott Smith.

BRY WEBB TOUR DATES
July 9 Saskatoon, SK Amigo’s
July 10 Regina, SK The Exchange
July 11-13 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Folk Festival
July 18 Sudbury, ON River & Sky Festival
July 19-20 London, ON Home County Music and Art Festival
July 26-27 Guelph, ON Hillside Festival
August 2-3 Sackville, NB Sappyfest
August 8 Owen Sound, ON Mudtown Music & Arts Festival
August 9 Kingston, ON Wolfe Island Festival

THE CONSTANTINES TOUR DATES
August 3 Sackville, NB SappyFest
August 22 Peterborough, ON Peterborough Folk Festival
August 23 Ottowa, ON Arboretum Festival
August 29 Toronto, ON The Molson Canada Amphitheater
October 2 Toronto, ON The Danforth Music Hall
October 4 Montreal, QC Club Soda
October 8 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
October 9 Calgary, AB Commonwealth Bar & Stage
October 11 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room (UPDT Festival)