Chain Gang of 1974 To Release WAYWARD FIRE 6/21

By: Apr. 01, 2011
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After self-releasing two albums over the past several years and receiving early praise from the likes of SPIN, The FADER, RCRD LBL, Brooklyn Vegan, and more, The Chain Gang of 1974 is ready to break out with Wayward Fire! Set for release June 21st on ModernArt, this is an album as restless as The Chain Gang of 1974's White Guts, an album which funneled three years of instrument-swapping, sample-splicing experience into a lean focused listen, but it melds the standout moments from that release into something wholly new and realized. In creating this new album, The Chain Gang of 1974's genre-jumping singer/multi-instrumentalist Kamtin Mohager moved from Denver to Los Angeles, severed the ties of the two-year relationship that fueled Wayward Fire, and raised the curtain on what's next, proving that this particular film has just begun.

On Wayward Fire, the laser-guided synth lines of "Undercover" and the rather epic "Hold On"-crowd pleasers that hint at everything from LCD Soundsystem to Talking Heads-make perfect sense alongside such shifting soundscapes as the shimmering keys of "Don't Walk Away," the hands-in-the-air hooks of "Taste of Heaven," and the choruses that cut through the rain clouds in "Matter of Time." Of course, it doesn't hurt that Mohager balances his minor-key melodies with bold, bloodletting lyrics.

In the lead up to this release, The Chain Gang of 1974 will play select dates on the west coast with Jamaica. Dates are below.

Additionally, The Chain Gang of 1974 is the soundtrack to the CW's ad for their Monday night lineup of "90210" and "Gossip Girl." Check it out here: http://cwtv.com/thecw/90210-gossipgirl-poll

Listen to/share The Chain Gang of 1974's "Undercover," premiered yesterday via SPIN.com, here: http://www.thechaingangof1974.com

Born in San Jose and raised in Hawaii, Mohager spent his first 13 years playing inline hockey and dreaming of being drafted by the NHL. He was surrounded by music growing up, but not the Beatles or anything of that nature - more along the lines of the Persian records his parents played all the time, leaving he and his brothers to discover everything on their own. His thoughts officially shifted to music soon after a move to Colorado, all thanks to the sinking feeling he felt after seeing the final scene in Real Genius. That'd be the part where "Everybody Wants To Rule the World" kicks in, tugging at the audience's collective heartstrings like only the finest Reagan era records can.

The Chain Gang of 1974 Tour Dates

Sat. April 23 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex

Tue. April 26 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent w/ Jamaica

Thu. April 28 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/ Jamaica

Fri. April 29 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos w/ Jamaica

Sat. April 30 - Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club w/ Jamaica

Sat. June 11 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre w/ Candy Claws, Bad Weather California, Fellow Citizens

For more information on The Chain Gang of 1974, please visit www.thechaingangof1974.com, www.facebook.com/thechaingangof1974 or www.myspace.com/thechaingangof1974.

For more information, contact:

Jessica Linker | Pitch Perfect PR | jessica@pitchperfectpr.com, 773-271-6844

Jaime Rosenberg | Warner Music Group | jaime.rosenberg@wmg.com, 212-707-2038

Mary Thayer (ONLINE) | Warner Music Group | mary.thayer@wmg.com, 212-707-2378

Photo Credit: Luca Venter


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