Vampire Weekend have released “Mary Boone” — the fourth and final advance offering from Only God Was Above Us out April 5th via Columbia Records. Written by Ezra Koenig and featuring a sample of the iconic drum loop from “Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)" by Soul II Soul. Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Koenig, with lush orchestral arrangements by Will Canzoneri, Koenig and Rechtshaid, the song — named for one of the most influential figures of the NYC art world of the 1980s—features a soaring, operatic choir alongside Koenig’s understated but honeyed vocals, and lyrics referencing Tadao Ando churches, Natarajas, hex signs, and whirling Dervishes. As its eclectic sonic and lyrical tapestries unfold, the song finds a narrator looking to get their foot in the door of the New York art world (or perhaps something bigger):
Painted white
New in town
You weren’t hiring but I was looking
“Mary Boone” is accompanied by an official visualizer which features a rapper who’s never released an album, Despot, driving from New Jersey to Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel.
To date, Ezra Koenig, Chris Tomson and Chris Baio have released four songs from Only God Was Above Us: “Gen-X Cops,” “Capricorn,” “Classical” and now “Mary Boone”—evincing a diverse array of sounds and narratives, yet only revealing less than half of the album’s staggering range and depth. Only God Was Above Us will be available across digital platforms as well as on vinyl and CD.
To accompany the news of Mary Boone, Vampire Weekend today announce a nine-date run of live shows kicking off at the 3Arena in Dublin on November 29th, and carrying through the U.K. in Scotland, Manchester and two separate London shows before wrapping up the run with shows in Paris and Amsterdam.
Vampire Weekend
UK & European Tour 2024
Nov 29 2024 Dublin, Ireland 3Arena
Dec 01 2024 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo
Dec 02 2024 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo
Dec 04 2024 London, UK Eventim Apollo
Dec 06 2024 Wolverhampton, UK The Halls
Dec 08 2024 Glasgow, UK OVO Hydro
Dec 10 2024 London, UK O2 Academy Brixton
Dec 13 2024 Paris, France Adidas Arena
Dec 15 2024 Amsterdam, Netherlands. AFAS Live
