The Shins Confirm First Live Appearance Since 2013

Portland-based rock band The Shins last performed live back in 2013. Their hiatus from the stage will end later this year as James Mercer will again front the group at a newly confirmed festival appearance.

Mercer and crew will be among the headliners at the End Of The Road festival in Dorset, United Kingdom. Joining The Shins at the top of the event taking place September 1 – 4 will be Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective and Bat For Lashes. Also on the EOTR lineup includes Cat Power, Devendra Banhart, Broken Social Scene, Thee Oh Sees, Phosphorescent, M. Ward, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Dr. Dog, Eleanor Friedberger and more.

The Shins will be performing in the U.K. for the first time in more than four years and according to the announcement it will be their only festival spot in the U.K. this year. Mercer and the band will play a special Thursday night headlining set while making their first appearance at EOTR.

A new The Shins album in 2016 was hinted by the band on social media and in an emailed newsletter earlier this year. The last new music issued by The Shins came in 2014 in the form of “So Now What” which appeared in the feature film Wish I Was Here. They released Live At Third Man Records in 2013 and the studio LP Port Of Morrow in 2012. Along with Mercer, the last lineup included guitarist Jessica Dobson, bassist Yuuki Matthews, drummer Joe Plummer, keyboardist Richard Swift and multi-instrumentalist Nick Teeling.