Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan is set to release The Sound of Yourself (Merge Records), his second full-length under his own name on September 24, 2021. Pre-order the record today on CD, LP, and pink and orange swirl Peak Vinyl in the here, and get tickets to one of McCaughan’s full-band performances on the east coast, too! Along with the album announcement, McCaughan shares “Dawn Bends,” a song he describes as “a cautionary tale about getting a little too into the isolation.” The bittersweet single is bolstered not only by Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster but the esteemed trio of Yo La Tengo on bass, organ, guitar, and vocals.

Throughout his musical career fronting Superchunk and Portastatic, Mac McCaughan has channeled more than his share of angst and tumult into a microphone, resulting in straight-up undeniable rock anthems. So how can a voice so familiar to others still seem foreign to its owner? On The Sound of Yourself, he explores that question fully, shooting his voice through a prism and refracting it across these songs in new and rewarding ways.

In January 2021, McCaughan found himself at his home studio in Chapel Hill staring down a clean slate after wrapping up a film score and several other music projects. This setting—a distant light at the end of a figurative tunnel, and a literal room full of instruments—was integral to The Sound of Yourself. His thought process was simple: “Each day is blurring into the next, so what are we doing today? How can I disrupt this? I think what resulted was a theme of subdued… ‘joy’ is the wrong word, but it’s at least comforting if not propulsive to have something open-ended to work on every day without any kind of structure or deadline or rules.”

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