Mac McCaughan shares “Circling Around,” a new song and accompanying video from his forthcoming solo album The Sound of Yourself. The record is available for pre-order today on CD, LP, and pink & orange swirl Peak Vinyl in the Merge store, add the first single “Dawn Bends” to your favorite playlists, and get tickets to one of McCaughan’s performances on the east coast, too!

Mac writes of the new single: “Circling Around… the neighborhood, the living room, the basement, the garden? Here’s a song for wherever you’re wearing out a path & thinking your thoughts.” Featuring Telekinesis’ Michael Benjamin Lerner on drums, a sloping new wave bassline grounds the instantly catchy “Circling Around” as McCaughan seeks to reject rumination with cleverly cyclical lyrics and a few strategically placed “whoa”s.

In addition to Lerner, The Sound of Yourself includes collaborations from friends and colleagues including Yo La Tengo, the Mountain Goats’ Matt Douglas, Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster, TORRES, A Giant Dog’s Sabrina Ellis, Annie Hayden, Mary Lattimore, and more. For a record titled The Sound of Yourself, the irony in having many contributions from friends near and far is not lost on McCaughan: “I’m constantly inspired by the work of my peers. I feel lucky to be able to collaborate with them despite the distances between us. Sending off a song into the ether and having it returned greatly improved and in often surprising and moving ways was one of the most satisfying aspects of making this record.”

Mac McCaughan on tour:
Sep 23 Wilmington, DE – The Queen* [SOLD OUT]
Sep 24 Holyoke, MA – Gateway City Arts Center* [SOLD OUT]
Sep 25 Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios* [SOLD OUT]
Sep 26 Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Cafe at the ArtsQuest* [SOLD OUT]
Sep 28 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool^
Sep 29 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s^
Sep 30 Washington, DC – DC9^
Oct 01 Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall^
Oct 02 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room^
* solo performance w/ John Darnielle (the Mountain Goats)
^ full-band performance w/ 75 Dollar Bill