The Church Returns

Granted, it’s not the very same lineup that won fans over during the ‘80s.  Because Marty Willson-Piper isn’t available, Powderfinger’s Ian Haug will join founding members Steve Kilbey and Peter Koppes while longtime Church-man Tim “timEbandit” Powles handles drums.

The Church will have new music for fans.  The band’s new album, Further/Deeper, lands in North America Feb. 3.  Powles is credited with taking a multitude of ideas from all band members and then boiling them down to 12 tracks for the LP.  No easy task for anyone, especially when individual members often worked simultaneously in separate studios.

“After an eternal twenty years in The Church I marvel more than ever at how we’ve become masters of our own freedom,” Powles said.  “No strings attached, no view to winning a prize.  How lucky are we?  Or have we earned it?  We’ve got better at it too.  Or maybe it’s got the better of us.  It seems to devour us.  Like magic.”

Here are the dates:

Feb. 21 – Vancouver, B.C., Rio Theatre
Feb. 23 – Seattle, Wash., The Triple Door
Feb. 24 – Seattle, Wash., The Triple Door
Feb. 27 – Los Angeles, Calif., El Rey Theatre
Feb. 28 – San Diego, Calif., The Casbah
March 2 – Aspen, Colo., Belly Up Aspen
March 3 – Englewood, Colo., Gothic Theatre
March 5 – Minneapolis, Minn., Cedar Cultural Center
March 6 – Chicago, Ill., Double Door
March 9 – Washington, D.C., 9:30 Club
March 10 – Philadelphia, Pa., World Cafe Live
March 12 – Cambridge, Mass., The Sinclair
March 13 – New York, N.Y., Bowery Ballroom
March 14 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Rough Trade
March 15 – Carrboro, N.C., Cat’s Cradle
March 17 – Atlanta, Ga., Terminal West
March 18-21 – Austin, Texas, SXSW (an individual SXSW has not yet been announced).

Presales begin this week with general onsales launching Nov. 21.  Head on over to TheChurchBand.net for more information.