MJ Lenderman Releases Twangy ‘Joker Lips’ Single

Singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman shared a new single, “Joker Lips.” The track will land on the North Carolina-based musician’s forthcoming record Manning Fireworks, arriving September 6 via ANTI-.

MJ Lenderman co-produced Manning Fireworks with frequent collaborator Alex Farrar at Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, North Carolina. The new LP follows a 2023 live record and 2022 studio effort, Boat Songs.

Press materials detailed Manning Fireworks:

Lenderman plays nearly every instrument on the album, routing sadness and shame through guitars that echo the sparkle of R.E.M. and the insistence of Drive-By Truckers. Writing where the poetic clarity of William Carlos Williams and the economy of Raymond Carver meet the striking imagery of Harry Crews, there are feelings of self-doubt and world weariness present, but the conditions are rendered with a precision and care that make his songs feel like short films, as Lenderman simply offers everyday anxieties and enthusiasms in uncanny ways.

Lenderman previously shared the single, “She's Leaving You” and now follows with “Joker Lips.” The Manning Fireworks cut arrived along with a music video directed by Ben Turok and features Lenderman’s band The Wind. Watch below:

MJ Lenderman and The Wind are taking off on an early fall North American Tour before heading over to Europe. Scroll down for Lenderman’s itinerary and ticket info.