OVERSEAS:
David Bazan, Will Johnson, Matt Kadane and Bubba Kadane.

PRE-ORDER NOW: CD / VINYL / DOWNLOAD

Pre-order starts on April 4 // Release date June 11.

You’ll get an email with a link to a full-album MP3 download when your purchase is complete. Please don’t share this link, it’s just for you!

All cd and vinyl pre-orders will be shipped to arrive on or before June 11.

1 Ghost To Be
2 Redback Strike
3 Old Love
4 HELLP
5 Lights Are Gonna Fall
6 Here (Wish You Were)
7 The Sound Of Giving Way
8 Down Below
9 Came With The Frame
10 All Your Own

Mastered for vinyl from 24bit hi-resolution audio files.
Each LP comes with a download coupon inside.
Records pressed by Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland, OH.

Written, performed, and produced by Overseas.

Recorded by Matthew Barnhart, Britton Beisenherz, and Overseas.
Mastered at Chicago Mastering by Shelly Steffens and Matthew Barnhart.
Cello on “HELLP” by Randy Fromme.
Thanks to Amy Beisenherz.

* NEW SHOWS ADDED IN LOS ANGELES, CHEYENNE, DENTON!

Will is heading to the western half of the country to play Living Room Shows in April! These shows are totally acoustic. It’s just Will playing songs. No sound system, no opening bands, no loud talkers at the bar!

Each show is limited to 35-45 tickets.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Wed April 10 – Tucson AZ
Thu April 11 – Los Angeles, CA
Fri April 12 – San Francisco CA – SOLD OUT
Sat April 13 – Oakland CA
Sun April 14 – Reno NV
Tue April 16 – Eugene OR
Wed April 17 – Portland OR
Thu April 18 – Portland OR
Fri April 19 – Seattle WA
Sat April 20 – Seattle WA
Mon April 22 – Cheyenne WY
Tue April 23 – Ft Collins CO
Wed April 24 – Colorado Springs CO
Fri April 26 – Denton TX
Sat April 27 – Forth Worth TX
Sun April 28 – College Station TX

Mark Todd designed a great poster for the tour. They’ll be on the merch table at the upcoming shows. Check out more of Mark’s work HERE.

We’re excited to announce Will’s first batch of 2013 Living Room Shows. These are small intimate shows with only 35-50 tickets available for each one.

FEBRUARY
12 - Alexandria, LA
13 - Mobile, AL @ IMC / Satori Coffee House *
14 - Waverly, AL
15 - Athens, GA
16 - Atlanta, GA (Snellville)
17 - Hunstville, AL
18 - Nashville, TN
20 - Memphis, TN
21 - Dallas  TX
22 - Houston, TX
23 - Sealy, TX
24 - Austin, TX
25 - San Antonio, TX

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, January 2 @ 2pm. CLICK HERE!

* Tickets for the show at Satori Coffee House in Mobile will be available at the venue on the night of the show.

PS: We’re working on plans to get Will to the west coast for living room shows later in the Spring. More news about that soon!

Photo by Brad Searles

As 2012 and a busy year that found us each working on various projects comes to an end we couldn’t be happier to be back together to record our next Centro-matic album! We are currently in the studio and while we work hard to get the new album ready to share with all of you we are also excited to announce a few Texas dates at the end of Jan/early Feb…tickets on sale Thursday Dec 13! Hope to see you there!

Thu Jan 31 – Denton TX – Dan’s Silverleaf
Fri Feb 01 – Austin TX – The Mohawk Austin
Sat Feb 02 – Ft Worth TX – Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge

Will takes interviews seriously. He wants to give thoughtful answers to folks who are kind enough to write about Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. On one occasion a little while back, however, the combination of the faulty translations of emailed questions and an unreasonable deadline forced him to respond in a less direct manner than usual. Ladies and Gentlemen, here’s one of our favorite WJ interviews ever gave:

When we talk about Will Johnson, we refer to one of the most versatile rock scene. An artist with many projects at the same time. Work published almost an album per year.

How do you organize your musical hyperactivity?

Organizationally, chemically, and thematically, I am Will Johnson, so
I don’t have much say on that. I do organize my musical activity by
arranging my caresses in a room near the tested/abused edges like a sun, sighing in the key of Harm. I said “sighing”, not “singing”. You probably thought I meant “singing.” Anyway, some things get written at speed of an East County vandal. Some while driving. Like spackle candies or more specifically, the known stink of a familiar tomb. Depends on LanZad futures of course, face paint availability, and horse. So, no set way. (The) Best way for me. Me being Lil Squallz.

To understand the figure of Will Johnson one could use the figure of the great American hero. Someone who can give wings to reply and a normal person with ordinary life. What are differences between Centro-Matic and South San Gabriel?

The Greatest American Hero was one of my favorite TV shows. Giant
helpings. I have given wings to a small child once, but never a puppy. The differences between Centro-matic and South San Gabriel are like heavy wooden bats versus sleepy sheets on a laundry line. But again, not up for me to decide. There is no sense in me posturing the two against each other in silky trunks for any length of time. I want that Bod.

In these two bands mentioned, Will portrays his creativity. Centro-Matic is the formal and intimate side of Will, and is expressed through the rock. And South San Gabriel is perhaps their most versatile, open. Do you need these two projects to express your creativity?

I need these two projects mostly because I need rides to place(s).
Our van is the only world where I can get some good middle class air
conditioning, maybe meet a friend, and get a little time with all these Car
and Drivers. As far as the race, Centro-matic tends to look the speeding bus down, instead of board it. Whereas South San Gabriel carefully raises its Sails of Concern in summer’s caramel heat. Like a compassionate, thorough penguin. The two projects are desired by our troops in order to fulfill the musical and spiritual needs of our collective lives in waiting. We cannot afford counseling. Or rye. No hot tub, so we approach our wells of aural satisfaction with familiar bayonets of reverence and care.

Within your course surprised us your previous work double LP Dual Hawk, the rock on one side of Centro-matic and the other with its more relaxed in South San Gabriel. Was this work the attempt to unify criteria and contained in a only job?

The attempt to unify criteria and contained in a only job is by
masturbating quietly, but very diligently at work. On the clock. Lots.
Bossman in hall, Wokka Bee happy in stall. Think about that. Blam blam.
Blamm… sssssssssssssss, then.. Powwowowowow!!

Why this had to take a toll under the umbrella of South San Gabriel?

What’s taken its toll under the umbrella of South San Gabriel is the
potency of oils. This almost broke the band up, leaving us in a desert of
burning, nearly breathless decay. It is like bleeding from the knees with a
head full of static on an empty, quiet little shingle. All while emitting
spark and rumble in our FresshyPantz. Say that to yourself. In a whisper. FresshyPantz.

What is the approach to this tribute? Revise and redo their songs or else pay tribute remembering and engaging more partners from the experience?

If we engage more partners from the experience, we take a chance on disease. That’s not worth it.

Centro Matic as soon going to publish your next job, “Candidate Walt”. What are we going to find in it?

We met Walt. In/at Childress County Lotion Party.

Instrumentally, what predominates in your “Candidate Walt”? How is it made?

Was not made. (Was..) Dreamed.

The first issue we show is “Double Only In My Mind,” which starts strong to let us live KO from the second one. But at the same time vital sounds cool, almost even pop. Do open this topic to a dead center complex Matic, in which openly do and undo as you please topics without any pressure?

I am always living KO from the second one, but as far as vital might
go, or even the complex Matic part.. there are time constraints and out and out problems with us not hanging out enough together. Really, we’ve been trying to go on a camping trip with this fucking band for years. The shit keeps getting delayed. I think we all know we’d be a better band if we just took the time to go camping. It’s so simple, and we can’t fucking get it done. I’m pretty available. For camping or whatever that game is where you throw the beanbag about ten yards into a hole on a board. Bunghole, is it? Bung-bowls? I think it’s got some various regional names. Or just riding around town, for shit’s sake. Fuck. Anyway, as far as the reference to “openly do and undo as you please”, we usually take full advantage of that so long as it does not flirt with the reality of injury. Or disease (see earlier answer). After all our time together, there is still zero pressure with our band(s). That comes with the very weird and sometimes painful and/or joyous freedom of historically flying under the radar of the public’s conscience. There’s a defiance that lives in our relative anonymity, and we are sovereign because of it. When the vast majority of the listening public isn’t listening, who cares if you walk the streets stark naked with little bitty dry-rub, Skittle nipples? So what? Well, I’ll tell you what.. Here we are, after 1/6th of a century, with our original lineup happily intact, strong as all fuck, still making records the we really love. Not going fucking camping.

In AGAINST THE LINE you talk about what we can expect and how we build as a mute. Where do as escaped or where or how you felt trapped?

Yeah.

Recently, you were in our contry to presents some issues of this latest “Candidate Walt”. How do you expect to be receiving this by the public?

My dad like “contry”. He knew Walt.

Do you feel a bit of nervousness or concern about the outcome?

Hell yes I do. Bath time.

Matt Pence recently recorded the series of Deschutes River Recordings and played drums on the below version of “Up on Cripple Creek” with Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt from Blitzen Trapper.

The series is for sale through Bandcamp. Proceeds benefit the Deschutes River Conservancy.

Find out more here and on the Deschutes River website.

Will’s first solo record in 8 years is available now! You can get it at your local record store or on-line.

Direct from Undertow
Download $6 // CD $9 // Vinyl $14

Amazon
CD // Vinyl // MP3

iTunes
USA // Canada // UK // Germany // Japan

* Scorpion is available worldwide on iTunes. Search for “Will Johnson Scorpion” in your country.

For this project, Johnson has decided to cut out the middleman and self-release the album direct to fans via Undertow Music Collective/Thirty Tigers. Scorpion was recorded in the wooded outskirts of Denton, Texas, at the studio of longtime bandmate, producer and engineer Matt Pence.  Also lending their skills to Scorpion are multi-instrumentalists Scott Danbom (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, Sarah Jaffe), Howard Draper (Tre Orsi, Shearwater, Okkervil River) and Magnolia Electric Company’s Mikey Kapinus.

Unlike Centro-matic’s Candidate Waltz or Johnson’s last solo album Vultures Await (both of which were written well in advance and recorded using carefully conceived arrangements), Scorpion documents the genesis and germination of its songs. “A lot of them,” Johnson says, “Were written in the studio, right then and there, in the moment. I enjoy capturing those initial gut reactions in songwriting. It doesn’t always work, but when it does—you capture the song in such a raw, unique form.”

Johnson is hitting the road this fall in support of Scorpion, with his friend and New Multitudes collaborator, Anders Parker, playing a mix of traditional club shows and intimate acoustic living-room sets.

Tickets for Living Room Shows on sale now!

BUY LIVING ROOM TICKETS HERE

Tickets for venue shows are available from the venue websites.

THU Sept 13 – Mobile, AL @ IMC / Satori Coffee House
FRI Sept 14 – Waverly, AL @ Living Room Show
SAT Sept 15 – Birmingham, AL @ Living Room Show
SUN Sept 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Living Room Show - SOLD OUT
MON Sept 17 – Athens, GA @ Living Room Show
TUE Sept 18 - Saxapahaw, NC  @  Haw River Ballroom
WED Sept 19 – Baltimore, MD @ Living Room Show – SOLD OUT
FRI Sept 21 – Philadelphia @ Living Room Show
SAT Sept 22 - Rosendale, NY @ Market Market Cafe
SUN Sept 23 – NYC @ Mercury Lounge
MON Sept 24 – Boston, MA @ Living Room Show - SOLD OUT
TUE Sept 25 – Montpelier VT @ Living Room Show
WED Sept 26 – Buffalo, NY @ Living Room Show
THU Sept 27 – Cleveland, OH @ Living Room Show
FRI Sept 28 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
Sat Sept 29 – Saint Louis @ Off Broadway
Tue Oct 2 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Theatre
Wed Oct 3 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
Thu Oct 4 – Austin, TX @ Cactus Cafe

Check out this fun and informative interview with our very own Matt Pence thanks to Darci Ratliff and Lisa Beth Johnson at the Me Three Podcast.

http://methreepod.com/2012/08/23/episode-12-matt-pence/

Centro-matic is excited to announce a few shows in October, including 2 shows supporting Afghan Whigs in Austin and Dallas TX! Tickets on sale now.

Sat Oct 13 – Austin TX – ANTONES – w/ Afghan Whigs
Sun Oct 14 – Dallas TX – GRANADA – w/ Afghan Whigs
Thu Oct 25 – Houston TX – FITZGERALDS
Fri Oct 26 – Baton Rouge LA – CHELSEA’S CAFE
Sat Oct 27 – Wiggins MS – WIGGINSTOCK

Will Johnson and Anders Parker will be on tour together in September. It’ll be a mix of all acoustic Living Room Shows and a few club shows along the way. We have a few Living Room shows already lined up in Waverly, Birmingham, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland.

We need your help! We are looking for people to host Living Room Shows in a few more towns on the dates listed below…

MON Sept 17 – Athens, GA
TUE Sept 18 – North Carolina area
FRI Sept 21 – Philadelphia, PA
SAT Sept 22 – Brooklyn, NY
MON Sept 24 – Boston, MA
TUE Sept 25 – open to ideas between Boston and Buffalo.
WED Sept 26 – Buffalo, NY

Here’s how it works.

1. You have a house or loft space that can comfortably and safely host 35-45 people. A place with a big living room, finished basement or other indoor residential space would be ideal. There needs to be enough parking nearby and your neighbors should be cool. It would be a huge bummer if someone called the cops because of all the extra cars and people coming to your house. You probably should not do this if you live in a small apartment with a bunch of uptight neighbors or a cranky landlord.

2. The shows will not be open to the public and no tickets will be sold at the door. We will pre-sell a set number of tickets for each show on our website before the show. Be realistic on how many people your place can hold. We need to know how many tickets we can sell in advance. Ticket prices will be $20.

3. We will provide you with a detailed list of everyone who will be coming to the show. This way the host won’t have to deal with money and will only need to check people off the list as they arrive.

4. The host gets 5 free tickets for the show. If you have other friends who want to come to the show you can direct them to the link to buy tickets on-line.

5. The shows usually start at around 8pm. We’ll ask people to arrive around 7:30pm. It should be over by around 10:00pm. We’ll make it clear to everyone that they should be out of your house by 10:30pm.

7. You don’t need to provide any sort of sound system. All you need is a couple of chairs for Will and Anders to sit on while playing and some kind of ambient lighting like a floor lamp.

8. Your home address will not be published on the web and only given to those people who purchase tickets.

9. The shows will not be promoted or advertised anywhere except our websites.

After reading all of this and you are interested please send an e-mail to: bob@undertowmusic.com and adam@undertowmusic.com

Please include a photo of the space where you would like to have the show and put “Johnson / Parker House Show” and the city where you live in the subject line of the e-mail.

We’ll review all requests. Once we have a routing figured out we’ll be in touch with people in the towns we are able to work into the schedule.

Thank you for your interest and support.

Bob