Bartees Strange gets a hand from producer Jack Antonoff on his new single, “Sober,” as well as its parent album, Horror, which will be released Feb. 14 on 4AD. “Sober” features additional production by Yves and Lawrence Rothman and is accompanied by a Ricardo Betancourt-directed video, itself inspired by a 1974 performance on Soul Train by Sly & the Family Stone.
“This song is about falling short in a relationship over and over and drinking because of it,” Strange reveals. “I think this is something a lot of people can probably relate to. Being in love, but not being the best at showing it or feeling successful within it. And being afraid that this is something you’ll always deal with because you never really saw a better example of how love works.”
More from Spin:
Lana Del Rey Welcomes Billie Eilish At Coachella
Bartees Strange on Why Criminal Justice Reform Needs to Happen Now
Taylor Swift Joined By Jack Antonoff, Ice Spice At First Of Three NY-Area Shows
Horror is the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed Farm to Table and bears the fruit of Strange and Antonoff’s newfound friendship. Strange appears on the latest self-titled album from Antonoff’s band Bleachers, and also performed at Antonoff’s annual Ally Coalition benefit last December.
“In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too,” says Strange. “For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”
Strange will play a handful of shows around the album release on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles, Feb. 15 in Washington, D.C., Feb. 19 in New York and Feb. 26 in London.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.