Bret McKenzie announces debut solo album ‘Songs Without Jokes

Bret McKenzie has announced details of his debut solo album ‘Songs Without Jokes’ – you can listen to his new single ‘A Little Tune’ below.

McKenzie, a member of Flight Of The Conchords and further renowned for his music work on The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), will release the LP on August 26 via Sub Pop.

‘Songs Without Jokes’ was produced by Mickey Petralia and McKenzie, and was mixed by Darrell Thorpe and recorded in LA at East West Studios and United Recordings.

“Post-Conchords, I’d been working on songs for the Muppets films, and during a session I had the thought that it would be fun someday to work on some songs that weren’t for someone else, that don’t have to tell a story or be funny or continue the narrative plot, checking all the boxes for the character in the movie,” McKenzie said in a statement about his album. “I thought it’d be fun to do a record like that, something different.”

The Ezra Simons-directed video for ‘A Little Tune’, the lead single from ‘Songs Without Jokes’, has also been released today (May 11). Filmed at the Royal Whanganui Opera House in Whanganui, New Zealand, you can watch the clip above.

You can see the album artwork and tracklist for McKenzie’s ‘Songs Without Jokes’ below, and pre-order the LP here.

1. ‘This World’
2. ‘If You Wanna Go’
3. ‘Dave’s Place’
4. ‘Here for You’
5. ‘That’s L.A.’
6. ‘Up in Smoke’
7. ‘Carry On’
8. ‘A Little Tune’
9. ‘America Goodbye’
10. ‘Tomorrow Today’
11. ‘Crazy Times’

McKenzie and his seven-piece live band will tour in support of ‘Songs Without Jokes’ later this year, with a run of UK dates scheduled for September and October.

You can see McKenzie’s UK tour dates below, and find tickets here when they go on general sale on May 20 at 10am.

September
22 – Town Hall, Birmingham
23 – O2 Academy, Leeds
26 – Eventim Apollo, London
29 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham

October
1 – Guildhall, Portsmouth
3 – St Davids Hall, Cardiff
4 – Academy, Edinburgh
5 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
7 – O2 Apollo, Manchester