Semisonic Announces New Album 'Little Bit Of Sun'

The Grammy-nominated trio Semisonic announced Little Bit Of Sun, their first full length album in more than 20 years that will be released on November 3, 2023.

Recorded in the band’s native Minneapolis and featuring appearances from Jason Isbell and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, the album offers a deeply moving reflection on growth, gratitude, and commitment in the face of change and uncertainty.

The collection also features co-writes with Grammy-winning songwriters Lori McKenna and Amy Allen, who co-wrote the album’s single “The Rope,” that was released today alongside an official video. 

About the new single, Dan Wilson explains, “I knew it was good, but I wasn’t so sure ‘The Rope’ was a Semisonic song - until we ran through it in rehearsal and it roared from beginning to end like a freight train passing by. The lyrics are like an ode to Los Angeles disguised as a breakup-with-regrets song - a lot of songwriters would love to break up with LA so it makes sense to me.”

The 12 song collection marks the band’s first full length album since 2001’s All About Chemistry and follows their critically-acclaimed 2020 EP You’re Not Alone. The songs walk a tightrope between raw energy and tender beauty, balancing power pop muscle with acoustic intimacy.

Bassist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slichter’s performances are finely tuned to match, infusing Wilson’s bright, buoyant melodies with touches of melancholy and darkness that perpetually haunt the periphery.

“My approach as an artist has always been to write from where I am now,” Wilson explains. “It’s been two decades since Semisonic made a full record together, so it was interesting to write from the perspective of returning to the band and finding it inspiring but very different. I couldn’t help but think about the early days, about the formative influences that shaped and inspired us, but a lot of the songs are about the present moment in my life.”

Earlier this summer, Semisonic released two new songs “Grow Your Own” and the album’s title track “Little Bit Of Sun” as they embarked on their first national tour in decades. More than past Semisonic records, Wilson focused his attention this time around on the acoustic guitar, taking his cues from Tom Petty as he chased a guitar-driven sound fueled by thick, straight ahead strumming and overdriven melodic leads.

“I felt the loss of Tom Petty maybe even more than the loss of Prince, if only because Petty’s musical and songwriting brilliance seemed a little more within reach of my own abilities,” Wilson recalls. “His passing made me feel like any of us could go at any time, and so I wanted to write about making the most of our time on Earth.”

In addition to his work with Semisonic, Dan Wilson has remained an in-demand songwriter and producer, working on a uniquely diverse range of releases. His most recent work includes co-writing and producing Claud’s new single “A Good Thing,” co-writing Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse,” the first single from his forthcoming album that saw the largest add day at country radio this year, and co-writing and producing Celine Dion’s “Love Again” from the film and soundtrack.

Wilson also teamed up with Mitski for her first released co-write “The Only Heartbreaker” which hit #1 on Billboard’s AAA radio chart, worked with Taylor Swift on re-producing his co-writes on Red (Taylor’s Version), and collaborated with Leon Bridges, Tom Morello, Joy Oladokun, Cuco and many more.

Photo Credit: Darin Kamnetz

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