Devendra Banhart is set to release his new album 'Mala' on March 11th.
A wanderer. A minstrel. A charlatan. A wizard. Few modern songwriter inspire such diverging assessments as Devendra Banhart, whose effortless and tenor and fragile songwriting underpinned the Acid Folk revival as the 21st century got under way.
Absent for too damn long, Devendra Banhart recently confirmed plans to get back in the studio. Working with his longtime bandmate, guitarist Noah Georgeson, the pair constructed a series of tracks which form the spine of new album 'Mala'.
Set to be released on March 11th, the material was laid down on a Tascam recording device. “A lot of early hip-hop had been made on (the Tascam),” Banhart explained recently. “And knowing my songs are not hip-hop whatsoever, we thought it would be interesting to see how these kinds of songs would sound on equipment that was used to record our favorite rap. Let’s see how this technology would work for us.”
The development within Devendra Banhart has been gradual, but noticeable. “I don’t really take care of my voice, but, just like with playing guitar, you get more familiar with it, and you get better at it. I’ve always said that I’m very good at not knowing how to play the guitar but, really, it’s just that I’m very comfortable with the utter uncertainty of my approach.”
Available via Nonesuch, pre-orders are already being taken for 'Mala'. The current package includes a limited-edition, autographed print; an instant download of the album track ‘Für Hildegard von Bingen’; and a download of the complete album available starting release day – full details HERE.
'Mala' is set to be released on March 11th.
Photo Credit: Ana Kras