Today, Microwave have announced that they will be releasing their long-awaited fourth studio album, Let’s Start Degeneracy, on April 26th via Pure Noise Records.

The Let’s Start Degeneracy title is lifted from a conservative politicians take on drugs back in 1970, and captures Microwave’s newfound liberated spirit. The band made sure that the songs play by no rules but their own, brining in a multitude of influences ranging from R&B to ambient pop to psychedelia and everything in between.

Lyrically, Let’s Start Degeneracy is loaded with revelations, some of which came to vocalist/guitarist Nathan Hardy after experiences with ayahuasca in Peru with drummer Timothy “Tito” Pittard. As the pandemic wound down, the two reconvened with bassist/vocalist Tyler Hill and together, found their way back to being Microwave again. 

It’s about letting go of attachments and behaviors that aren’t serving you and trying to shake off your programming and not be motivated by fear and guilt and shame,” says Hardy. “It’s about learning to be happy and take care of yourself.”

To go alongside the album announcement today, Microwave have unveiled the first single, “Bored of Being Sad.” The song finds the band musing on being an artist in an unforgiving industry, and how the idea of sadness has been romanticized instead of being treated as something to resolve.

Listen to “Bored of Being Sad” below and pre-order Let’s Start Degeneracy here.

Microwave also recently announced a full U.S. headlining tour for later this spring with DC two-piece Origami Angel, Heart Attack Man and Carpool Tunnel. Both Microwave and Origami Angel will also appear at the inaugural Roundabout Festival in Detroit, MI on March 30, and just ahead of the tour’s official start, Microwave will play their hometown’s longstanding Shaky Knees Festival for the first time.

Artwork:

Microwave Degeneracy art

Track-listing:

 

Tour dates:

Sat/May-04 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
Tue/May-07 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Thu/May-09 – Toronto, ON – Operahouse
Fri/May-10 – Lakewood, OH – Roxy
Sat/May-11 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
Tue/May-14 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity
Wed/May-15 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
Fri/May-17 – Denver, CO – Ogden
Sat/May-18 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex – Grand Room
Mon/May-20 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
Tue/May-21 – Portland, OR – Roseland Ballroom
Wed/May-22 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Thu/May-23 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Fri/May-24 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
Sat/May-25 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Tue/May-28 – Austin, TX – Empire Garage
Wed/May-29 – Dallas, TX – Studio at The Factory
Fri/May-31 – Nashville, TN – The Cannery
Sat/Jun-01 – Charlotte, NC – Amos Southend
Sun/Jun-02 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Mon/Jun-03 – Columbus, OH – King of Clubs
Wed/Jun-05 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
Fri/Jun-07 – Boston, MA – Royale
Sat/Jun-08 – Philadelphia, PA – Franklin Music Hall