William Tyler Shares New Single ‘Gone Clear’

Guitarist William Tyler will release a new album entitled Modern Country via Merge Records on June 3. Today, he shared the album’s first single, “Gone Clear.”

For his fourth LP, Tyler for the first time worked outside his hometown of Nashville, recording at Justin Vernon’s April Base Studios in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He enlisted a backing band composed of Wilco’s drummer Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook who’s worked with Vernon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Blind Boys of Alabama and others and bassist Darin Gray whose resume includes performing with Tweedy and Jim O’Rourke. Phil’s brother and Megafaun band mate Brad Cook co-produced Modern Country with Tyler.

Here’s how Tyler described the process of making the new record:

As I crisscrossed the country on tour, I spent a lot of time listening to what would at first seem to be disparate streams of music: ’70s country and ’70s German rock. Yet, I was able to connect the dots in my head about what united the beat of Waylon Jennings, Don Williams, and Barefoot Jerry with the “motorik” crawl of Neu!, Kraftwerk, and Harmonia. If nothing else, all of it sure as hell was great driving music. I wanted to figure out a way to make an album that tapped into both universes: hillbilly truckers and synth-soaked Teutons.

Stream “Gone Clear” followed by the Modern Country Trailer below:

Modern Country Tracklist:

1. Highway Anxiety
2. I’m Gonna Live Forever (If It Kills Me)
3. Kingdom of Jones
4. Albion Moonlight
5. Gone Clear
6. Sunken Garden
7. The Great Unwind