One of the most exciting acts to emerge from Nashville, Judah & The Lion have released their new single, ‘Why Did You Run?’. The track is the next single taken from their very deep and personal album, ‘Pep Talks’, which is due to be released, on the 3rd of May 2019, via Caroline, and their own label Cletus The Van. The release of the track, comes ahead of the trio’s world tour, with the UK leg of the tour set to commence, in Glasgow, on the 16th of July, and conclude, in London, on the 19th of July 2019, before heading on to the European leg of their tour.
This year is set to be a big year for the band, who are one of electrifying acts to come from Nashville in recent years. The trio have brought together a mix of genre’s, which has ultimately culminated with the release of, ‘Why Did You Run?’, and the upcoming, ‘Pep Talks’.
Speaking about the single, ‘Why Did You Run?’, vocalist Judah Akers, said: “The first verse is about me getting a call from my mom when she was in jail but I didn’t know what to do or say. And, of course, right after I called my dad but he didn’t answer and it felt like a very lonely moment. It was like, ‘Oh, I’m in the world alone.’ I imagined how hard it’d be to be a 13-year-old kid dealing with a divorce, because here I am, a 25-year-old, and it just rocked me.”
The trio, consisting of Judah Akers, Nate Zuercher, and Brian Macdonald, have also just announced the, ‘Pep Talks’ Worldwide Tour, which is their biggest headlining tour to-date. The tour features seven dates in the UK and Europe, with the trio heading to Glasgow, Dublin, and London, in July, as part of the UK leg of the tour. The European leg of the tour is set to begin, in Paris, on the 21st of July, before heading Amsterdam and Hamburg, with a concluding show, in Berlin, on the 26th of July 2019. Tickets are available now, and can be purchased here.
The release of ‘Why Did You Run?’, follows the release of their recent singles ‘Pep Talk’, ‘Quarter-Life Crisis’ and ‘Over My Head’, which has reached Top 10 on the Alternative Radio chart in the US, gaining more than two million streams. The album, ‘Pep Talks’, also features the critically-acclaimed single ‘Pictures’, featuring Kacey Musgraves.
‘Pep Talks’, the trio’s third LP, takes a turn from their past work, into something that is very deep, raw and personal. It comes as everything was coming together for the band in the professional career, but came at a time when frontman Akers’ personal life was crumbling around him. Speaking about his struggles, Akers, said: “In the middle of all of this it was very hard for me to admit to myself I wasn’t doing good. I’d get texts from people checking in. I’d always say, ‘I’m okay,’ but inside I was almost annoyed, which is an awful response, like, ‘Just stop asking. I don’t want to think about it.’ That forced me to go, ‘No, this is exactly why I do need to think about it: I need to process things.'”
The trio emerged from these struggles, with a collection of songs that show their unique sound. “Up to this point, the band’s message has mostly been: ‘Live your best life! Pursue your dreams! Follow your heart!’ We had to start this record with broken-ness, with this cry that says, ‘I don’t want to hide this from anyone anymore. I’m going through something. I need help,'” says Akers.
Judah & The Lion UK and European Tour Dates 2019:
16/07/2019 – King Tuts – Glasgow
17/07 – Workman’s Club – Dublin
19/07 – Oslo – London
21/07 – Lollapalooza – Paris
24/07 – Paradiso – Amsterdam
25/07 – Knust – Hamburg
26/07 – Lido – Berlin
