David Bazan Embarks on Summer Tour in Support of His New Album 'Blanco'

Singer-songwriter David Bazan will head out on an U.S. tour this summer in support of his latest album, Blanco. The trek features openers Laura Gibson and Michael Nau and will commence on Wednesday, June 8 in Spokane, Washington.

Blanco is Bazan's third LP as a solo artist and follows 2011's Strange Negotiations. The new album's songs were previously released in alternate versions on the musician's Bazan Monthly series, a fan-centric subscription service that doled out multiple new Bazan songs over a spattering of limited 7" singles beginning in 2014.

Many fans have been following the artist since his days in Pedro the Lion, the acclaimed indie rock band he started in 1995 that carried tentative ties to evangelical Christianity. Pedro the Lion released four albums during their run before breaking up in 2006. Distancing himself from the faith as a solo artist, Bazan told Christianity Today of his eventual abandonment of the religion:

"It happened gradually. There were many small steps, but there were some big questions I remember dealing with. I remember thinking that it would have been faithless to push those questions aside or just sweep them under the rug."

Bazan is renowned for holding intimate question-and-answer sessions during his gigs. Fielding inquiries on multiple topics like his music and faith, the singer swiped the practice from his longtime friend and bandmate, TW Walsh, by way of Steve Albini-led rock outfit, Shellac:

"In 2000 I was on tour with TW Walsh. We were playing at the Knitting Factory in New York and he did it during his set. During an awkward moment, he just said, 'Any questions?' And it was so arresting to me. I asked him, 'What is that?' I figured it was just him being witty and deadpan. But he said, 'Well it's kind of this thing that Shellac does.'"

As divulged in our recent interview with Starflyer 59 frontman, Jason Martin, he and Bazan are currently collaborating on a new musical project to be completed this year.

Full tour dates at davidbazan.com/shows. Below, watch Mr. Bazan and his touring band slay Pedro the Lion favorite, "Second Best," from the 2002 album, Control.