The Fiery Furnaces have announced a special vinyl reissue of Blueberry Boat, their breakout album from 2004. It’s out October 10 via Everything Nice. The experimental art-rock band, started by Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger, has also shared a previously unreleased bonus track that was recorded in 2003. Check out that new song, “Far Away,” below.
Matthew Friedberger wrote “Far Away” at Eleanor’s request, according to a press release, for a November 2003 show at New York’s Mercury Lounge. “I liked the idea of writing a special song for each show, but that was the only time we ever did it,” explained Matthew. “In the end we decided to not put it on the album. I’d thought it would fit because it didn’t. It turned out it just didn’t. I told myself that the songs on Blueberry Boat are about working and not working, as opposed to loving and not loving.” Eventually, “Far Away” morphed into “Waiting to Know You,” which landed on 2006’s Bitter Tea.
The upcoming reissue of Blueberry Boat is limited to 500 hand-numbered vinyl copies. It features new cover artwork and comes in a gatefold tip-on jacket. The Fiery Furnaces will embark on a short tour to coincide with the reissue, beginning on October 10, in Kingston, New York. From there, the duo will perform at Pitchfork Festival London, Le Guess Who?, and elsewhere. Find the group’s full list of tour dates below.
Read about Blueberry Boat at No. 145 in “The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s.”
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The Fiery Furnaces:
10-10 Kingston, NY – O+ Festival
10-25 Brooklyn, NY – National Sawdust
11-06 London, England – Pitchfork Music Festival London
11-07 Brussels, Belgium – Botanique
11-08 Utrecht, Netherlands – Le Guess Who?