Empath have shared a video for “Elvis Comeback Special,” the final single from their anticipated new album, Visitor. The animated video was directed by frequent Empath collaborator Halle Ballard. Visitor is out this Friday 2/11 via Fat Possum.

“‘Elvis’ started as a discarded voice memo. Sometimes I’ll play little guitar parts and melodies into my phone and then not think anything of them until many months later. When I listen back it’s like listening to someone else’s music and I can hear the song more clearly,” says Catherine Elicson. “So I fleshed out all the parts, and when I brought it to the whole band, all these unexpected rhythms and melodies popped out of the song. The song came to life; that’s the most exciting part of collaborating as a band. The lyrics took me the longest of any song to complete. The morning of the day I was to sing all my vocals in the studio, I was sitting outside a cafe hyped on caffeine and sweatily typing new words into my notes app. The lyrics deal with the feeling of uncertainty in yourself when you’re caught up in someone else’s world and you have to disentangle fantasy and cold reality. Because the song has these sharply rhythmic moments, Jake [Portrait] suggested I sing the lyrics really lazily as a contrast. The effect, though subtle, added a more compelling vibe to the whole song.”

Inspired by the disquieting scores of Nosferatu (1922) and The Wicker Man (1973) alongside David Bowie’s Low and forever favorites Fleetwood Mac, Visitor marks a seismic shift for the Philadelphia, PA quartet. While the album holds steadfast to the careening, joyous noise Empath staked their name on, Visitor was produced by Jake Portrait (Unknown Mortal Orchestra), making it the first release the band has recorded with a producer in a formal studio. 

Empath is hitting the road later this month. Tour dates include shows with Sunflower Bean, a hometown show in March, and a headline run in April.

Photo Courtesy: Marie Lin