The New Pornographers return with “Pure Sticker Shock,” the latest single from their forthcoming tenth studio album ‘The Former Site Of,’ due March 27 on Merge Records. Built on bright, jamming synth-pop, the track finds A.C. Newman turning inward as he questions ideas of worth and value. “It basically asks the question ‘What has worth? Who is deciding?’ Your market value is not always your value,” Newman shared, reflecting on the song’s personal resonance.
‘The Former Site Of’ gathers ten tightly crafted pop narratives exploring people at personal and societal extremes. Newman first shaped the material in his home studio before bringing it to bandmates Kathryn Calder, Neko Case, John Collins, and Todd Fancey. The album also features session drummer Charley Drayton, with Josh Wells joining the band on drums for their spring tour. Newman noted that having time to build songs privately allowed him to refine their core feeling before presenting them to the group.
The band kicks off a U.S. tour April 22 at The Wilbur in Boston, with stops at Webster Hall in New York, Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, The Metro in Chicago, and 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Support comes from Will Sheff of Okkervil River as the group brings new material and catalog favorites to stages across the country.