The series, named after a type of single-celled organism with dazzlingly intricate exoskeletons, is designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write/record/tour.

The band, John Medeski, Billy Martin and Chris Wood, will convene for brief writing retreats, hit the road to perform only that new material, record the songs immediately after the tour and release them as an album on its own label, Indirecto.

The process will be repeated three times, resulting in three album, the first of which, Radiolarians I, will hit stores September 30.

MMW will debut material for the third album in the series beginning November 12 at Moore Theatre in Seattle.

Other stops on the schedule before the band heads back into the studio include Aladdin Theater in Portland, Ore. (November 14), McNears Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, Calif. (November 18), The Fillmore in San Francisco (November 20) and John Ascuaga’s Nugget Hotel/Casino in Sparks, Nev. (November 22).

Download “Free Go Lilly,” the first single from Radiolarians I. (Right click and choose Save target as or Save link as)