Some of the biggest names in indie rock got together virtually on Friday night to perform at Vote Ready, a Concert for Voter Registration, which was exactly what it sounded like. Arguably the most exciting set came from Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, because he debuted a new song called “Featherweight” that’s four minutes of pure bliss.
Pecknold started off the livestream by thanking viewers for registering to vote before introducing drummer Joshua Jaeger (Angel Olsen) and Holy Hive singer Paul Spring. At the midpoint of their three-song set came the new song, “Featherweight”. A dark and skeptical folk number, it almost sounds like a stripped-down Fleet Foxes covering A Moon Shaped Pool.
The new track was sandwiched between a pair of covers. First came a spirited, uptempo cover of Arthur Russell’s soaring “I Never Get Lonesome”, while a spacious take on The Roches’ “Hammond Song” closed the performance. Watch it all below, with “Featherweight” starting around the 3:30 mark.
What’s more, some Reddit sleuths seem to think Pecknold may have given fans a clue as to when his next project is coming out during the set. Pecknold allegedly told fans who are eager for a new album to “look harder” at the video. In the background of the studio was a clock that never moved despite the passage of time. Based on where the clock’s hands were positioned, it looks like an announcement or release could be coming on September 4th — or if we’re talking minutes, sometime around September 22nd.
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Either way, it’s clear Pecknold is working on something new. During the set, he mentioned that he was scheduled to be in the studio this week. As for whether the sessions and sly tease are about Pecknold’s long-in-the-works solo full-length debut or a follow-up to Fleet Foxes’ 2017 album, Crack-Up, who’s to say?
