(CelebrityAccess) – The String Cheese Incident (SCI), comprised of Bill Nershi (guitar, vocals), Michael Kang (guitar, mandolin, violin, vocals), Keith Moseley (bass, vocals), Michael Travis (drums, vocals), Kyle Hollingsworth (keys, Vocals), and Jason Hann (percussion, programming) are thrilled to announce their first studio album in over six years. Lend Me A Hand; a new collection of songs that showcase the full depth and character of their songwriting like never before, delivering some of their most emotionally potent material thus far.
A high-spirited reflection on love, loss and resilience, the new album emerged as SCI coped with a life-changing event – the sudden death of their close friend, Jesse Aratow (a long-time management team member). As they created a batch of songs firmly set on storytelling, the band collaborated with producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats), whose vision helped SCI to embrace the album’s roots and simplicity.
“Every album’s a snapshot of the band at that moment, and this record turned out to be one of our most introspective,” says Moseley. “We were coming out of the pandemic and coming up on our anniversary; we lost someone who’s been an important part of our team for so long. All those thoughts and feelings coalesced into something that’s much more focused on the storytelling and feels more like hanging out in the living room with us while we sing you some songs.”
“Rather than trying to be flashy with the musicianship, our goal was to make sure nothing got in the way of the lyrics,” adds Nershi. “So even though we’re still a jam band at heart, all these songs can stand alone.”
Over the last three decades, SCI has built a devoted following based on the strength of their kaleidoscopic musicality and commitment to leaving audiences amazed. Known for an immersive live show that pushes into unexpected terrain, the Colorado-bred band handles everything from bluegrass to dubstep to psychedelia with equal parts abandon and ingenuity, a feat that’s found them sharing stages with such wide-ranging artists as Lauryn Hill, Skrillex, James Brown, Billy Strings, Perry Farrell, Sheryl Crow, Zac Brown Band, and more. But in a departure for the band – SCI’s eighth studio album trades all that genre-hopping for a stripped-back form of folk-rock.
The band looks forward to watching the songs of Lend Me A Hand transform and take new shape in their live show as they gear up for a spot on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour and their official 30th-anniversary celebration later this year.
“It’ll be fun to see how some of these three or four-minute tunes open up and stretch out a bit,” says Moseley. “One of the things that’s helped us stay connected over the years is that shared love for the beauty of the creative process and that we’re all still completely engaged in the pursuit of making the best music, we can make and then giving the best live performance(s) we can. If I had to guess, I’d say that our next album will be 180 degrees from this one because that’s how things tend to go with us. We point the ship into the wind and head off onto the next adventure, whatever that might be.”
Watch the Official Music Video for “Lend Me A Hand” below.
The String Cheese Incident On Tour
June 15 @ Telluride Bluegrass Festival | Telluride, CO
June 17 @ Northlands Music & Arts Festival | Swanzey, NH
June 22-25 @ Electric Forest | Rothbury, MI
July 11-12 @ Dillon Amphitheater | Dillon, CO
July 14 – 16 @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre | Morrison, CO (The John Fogerty Incident)
July 27 @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater | Bend, OR
July 28 @ The Cuthbert Amphitheater | Eugene, OR
June 29 @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater | Portland, OR
July 30 @ Festival at Sandpoint | Sandpoint, ID
Aug 1 @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre | Nampa, ID
Aug 2 @ Snow King Mountain | Jackson, WY
Aug 3 @ Sandy Amphitheater | Sandy, UT
Aug 4 @ Magic City Blues | Billings, MT
Sept 2 @ Alaska State Fair | Palmer, AK
Sept 8 @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre | Raleigh, NC*
Sept 9 @ PNC Music Pavilion | Charlotte, NC*
Sept 15 @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY*
Sept 16 @ Xfinity Center | Mansfield, MA*
Sept 17 @ Forest Hills Stadium | Forest Hills, NY*
Sept 22 @ Pine Knob Music Theatre | Clarkston, MI*
Oct 26-29 @ Suwannee Hulaween | Live Oak, FL
*Outlaw Music Festival
