Kurt Vile Shares “Zoom 97,” Second Single from ‘Philadelphia’s been good to me’
Kurt Vile, photo by Eleanor Petry
Kurt Vile has shared “Zoom 97,” the second single from his tenth studio album, Philadelphia’s been good to me, set to release on May 29 via Verve. With his first release since (watch my moves), his 2022 major label debut, the indie veteran and lifelong son of the City of Brotherly Love offers a candid view of his process and personality from three years in “an inspired state of flux.” The record’s second preview is a blur of half-thoughts, collected from Lincoln Drive’s roadside on Vile’s trips from his home to the heart of the city.
“Zoom 97” opens Vile’s long-awaited return with his classic brand of woozy shuffle, brightened by sunny, slack mandolin lines and twinkling chimes that kick in when he flags, “Watch as my life breaks down/ just as the song breaks down.” His loose grip on the tempo and joyful allusions to his performance (“Check out my hands/ my chimin’ chords on a Goldtone mandolin guitar”) make the music charmingly inseparable from the musician, packing his love letter to Philly with closeness and color. Vile commented in a release:
“This was the first song that came together on this record that we knew was real special, like we knew we were on the right track ya know… And it’s a 100% Philly born and bred affair.
I could reminisce out loud but for now we takin it inward… “jump in my whip… my engine whines, yeah… zig zag my way… down Lincoln Drive, yeah…”
See yall out there in the world soon enoughs :)”
Vile started working on Philadelphia’s been good to me back in 2023, and he’s been tinkering with melodies when he’s been home from the road up through earlier this year. He tracked the bulk of the record in his basement studio in Philly’s Mt. Airy neighborhood, and produced the project himself with some occasional assists from his Violators bandmates. That scattershot assembly brings a lively, unrehearsed quality to the project, and it’s clear from the mood smoldering under lead single “Chance to Bleed” that the songs stayed close to the moments of clear feeling that inspired them. “I’ve been waiting for that kinda natural element to show up again in my recordings, like the old home recording days,” Vile expressed. “I think I finally caught that again, but in a higher fidelity; it’s never overly polished, but it’s still pretty damn shimmery.”
Philadelphia’s been good to me is available to pre-order and pre-save now. Read on for the full tracklist and Vile’s complete tour itinerary.
Philadelphia’s been good to me – Kurt Vile:
1. Zoom 97
2. 99 BPM
3. Rock ‘o Stone
4. You don’t know cuz it’s my life
5. Chance to Bleed
6. Philly’s been good to me
7. 99th song
8. Red Room Dub
9. Every time I look at you
10. Piano for Sarah
11. Avalanches of Snow
Kurt Vile Tour Dates:
Tue. June 16 – Toronto, ON @ History *
Wed. June 17 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre *
Fri. June 19 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
Sat. June 20 – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
Sun. June 21 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony (North to Shore Fest) *
Mon. June 22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre *
Tue. June 23 – Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy *
Thu. June 25 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall *
Fri. June 26 – Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed *
Sat. June 27 – Eau Claire, WI @ Blue Ox Music Festival
Sun. June 28 – St Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre %
Wed. July 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom @
Thu. July 2 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall %
Fri. July 3 – Seattle, WA @ 5th Avenue Theatre %
Sun. July 5 – South Lake Tahoe, CA @ The Hangar %
Tue. July 7 – San Francisco, CA @ The Castro Theater %
Wed. July 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo %
Thu. July 9 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park %
Fri. July 10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren %
Sat. July 11 – Santa Fe, NM @ The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co. %
Mon. July 13 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theatre !
Tue. July 14 – Houston, TX @ Heights Theater !
Wed. July 15 – Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom !
Fri. July 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern !
Sat. July 18 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium !
Sun. July 19 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel !
Mon. July 20 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom !
Wed. July 22 – Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre !
Thu. July 23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount !
Fri. July 24 – Boston, MA @ Royale !
Sat. July 25 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Dell Music Center >$
Thu. Aug. 13 – Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival
Sat. Aug. 15 – Saint-Malo, FR @ La Route du Rock
Mon. Aug. 17 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo
Tue. Aug. 18 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Fri. Aug. 21 – Trondheim, NO @ Pstereo
Sun. Aug. 23 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
Mon. Aug. 24 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Tue. Aug. 25 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
Thu. Aug. 27 – La Tour-de-Peilz, CH @ Nox Orae
Fri. Aug. 28 – Paris, FR @ Rock en Seine
Sat. Aug. 29 – Luxembourg, LU @ Den Atelier
Sun. Aug. 30 – Köln, DE @ Gloria
Tue. Sept. 1 – Munich, DE @ Muffathalle
Wed. Sept. 2 – Prague, CZ @ Archa+
Thu. Sept. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
Fri. Sept. 4 – Maastricht, NL @ Zero for Three
Sun. Sept. 6 – Dorset, UK @ End of the Road
Mon. Sept. 7 – Bristol, UK @ The Crane %
Tue. Sept. 8 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk %
Wed. Sept. 9 – London, UK @ Troxy %
Fri. Sept. 11 – Manchester, UK @ The Ritz %
Sat. Sept. 12 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO %
Sun. Sept. 13 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 TV Studio %
Mon. Sept. 14 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street %
Tue. Sept. 15 – Leeds, UK @ Project %
Wed. Nov. 4 – Buffalo, NY @ Asbury Hall $
Thu. Nov. 5 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall $
Fri. Nov. 6 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall $
Sat. Nov. 7 – St. Louis, MO @ The Sovereign $
Sun. Nov. 8 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall $
Tue. Nov. 10 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s $
Wed. Nov. 11 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall $
Thu. Nov. 12 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room $
Fri. Nov. 13 – Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s $
Sat. Nov. 14 – Denver, CO @ Summit $
Mon. Nov. 16 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge $
Tue. Nov. 17 – Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall $ #
Wed. Nov. 18 – New Orleans, LA @ Joy Theatre $
Fri. Nov. 20 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club $
Sat. Nov. 21 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm $
Sun. Nov. 22 – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre $
Mon. Nov. 23 – Richmond, VA @ The National
Tue. Nov. 24 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar $
* w/ The Sadies
% w/ Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band
@ w/ Alex Amen
! w/ Being Dead
$ w/ Twisted Teens
> w/ TAGABOW
# w/ Optic Sink
