The touring line-up will be Devendra on vocals and guitar; Noah Georgeson (producer of Banhart's last two albums, Little Joy, Bert Jansch and Joanna Newsome) on guitar and backing vocals, Greg Rogove (Priestbird) on drums and backing vocals; Luckey Remington (The Pleased) on bass and vocals and Rodrigo Amarante (Los Hermanos, Little Joy) on guitar and backing vocals. This is the same line up that recorded What Will We Be. All the musicians involved played a part in arranging the songs recorded. Devendra and company took up residence in a private home, North of San Francisco, and set up a recording studio in it.

What Will We Be has a sunny, breezy feel with performances that evoke warm, lazy afternoons spent with good friends. The album is dominated by powerfully melodic, mid-tempo numbers played with relaxed expertise. But there's also ambitious stylistic range displayed with the inclusion of evanescent ballads like "Meet Me At Lookout Point," the epic riff-rocker "Rats" sprightly R&B flavored groovers on "Baby," and the sultry Latin-flavored stunner "Brindo," the Roxy-inspired "16th & Valencia, Roxy Music" among other pleasant surprises. The critical response has been overwhelmingly positive:

The 6th studio album by Devendra Banhart is the best he's ever made. David Fricke Rolling Stone 10/29/09

A wide hippie spectrum -- love, smiles, dreams, idealism spiritual, intertwined acoustic or distorted electric guitars -- fills "What will We Be," Devendra Banhart's first major label album. He's a knowing throwback to California psychedelia and Brazilian tropicalia, and so skillfull -- or is it sincere? -- that nothing seems too studied Jon Pareles/New York Times 9/13

Clearly, signing to a major label hasn't made Devendra Banhart any more mainstream. And you can thank your lucky Buddhist prayer beads for that, because this psych-folk rambler finds our bearded, be-sandaled hero more energized than ever, snake-dancing his way through wild, Lizard King blues ("Rats"), goofing on glam-rock grandstanding ("16th & Valencia, Roxy Music") and just letting his thoughts grow, as he puts it, like "hairs on a wild, wild boar." Maybe he's listening a little too closely to his spirit animal, but either way, the guy sure sounds inspired. Melissa Maerz/Entertainment Weekly 10/30

This is the second album Devendra's recorded with the same crew of players and all involved sound thoroughly comfortable, familiar and in synch with one another. It's accomplished, focused and straightforwardly handsome. Where Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon sounded like Devendra and friends brainstorming, sharing off-beat ideas and licks, What Will We Be sees them first and foremost addressing the particular needs of each individual composition. The vocal arrangements are noticeably more intricate yet crystalline with lush harmonies running through many of these numbers. The instrumental performances are still relaxed but very much on target.

Over the past few years, he's recorded a series of ground-breaking albums supported by international touring that's earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim the world over. Past releases include Rejoicing In The Hands, Nino Rojo, Cripple Crow and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. During this period, Banhart appeared on the covers of The Fader, Signal To Noise, Arthur Magazine, Paper, Harp, Guitar World Acoustic, both the German and Japanese editions of Rolling Stone among others, been featured in the American edition of Rolling Stone (several times), Vanity Fair, GQ, Spin, Filter, The Believer, Blender, Sunday New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Washington Post, Mojo, the Village Voice and Under The Radar, Magnet and many, many more as well as received countless ecstatic CD and live reviews.

In addition to touring clubs and theaters Devendra's appeared at large, prestigious music festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe, including America's Coachella (in 2006 and 2009), and Bonnaroo. He's curated his own mini-festival at Los Angeles' El Cid club, "Hypnorituals and Mesmemusical Miracles Hanging in the Sky: 5 Nights of Soleros and Bandoleros." and was a guest curator in 2006 for the All of Tomorrows Parties festival in London. In 2007 Devendra headlined the "Welcome To Dreamland" bill at New York's Carnegie Hall, a bill hand-picked by ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.

Devendra Banhart has emerged as one of the most fascinating, unpredictable and inspiring artists of his generation and with What Will We Be he continues to surprise and delight an ever-increasing audience of fans and critics alike.