The SPITS Announce North American Tour

In an era that relies so heavily on quick-hit bands, there are very few things that are truly part of the subculture and not just the passing zeitgeist du jour. Closing in on three decades, The Spits have signified the crossroads between punk mayhem and well-honed songwriting, creating some of the most unhinged and anthemic tracks in underground music -- and also some of the wildest live experiences you'll ever be a part of.

Today The Spits announce a North American tour in support of their latest record VI which dropped Fall 2020 -- and was their first album in almost 10 years! The tour will be the first time for anyone to hear the new tracks live. It kicks off early December with two TX shows and then picks back up after the new year in the Pacific Northwest. They've also confirmed they'll be playing Goner Fest 2021 in Memphis, TN in late September. Check out a full list of dates below and purchase tickets here.

The Spits took their time on VI. Clocking in at 17+ minutes, The Spits are back and things are the same as it ever was. Yet this time, the brothers Wood and Co. are adamant about letting the fans know that VI is a return to their roots- more deceptively simple punk from these instigators and legends in their own time.

For fans of the band, to-the-point melodicism and good old-fashioned rock 'n roll, VI isn't just the name of The Spits' LP, it's also the number of instant-classic records in a row. Recorded by Erik Nervous on cassette four track, the band's new LP VI is ten hummable tracks, shrouded in chainsaw punk and wild showmanship.

Marking a "return to roots'' approach for the LP, the band decided to record and write VI in the basements of Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, Michigan over the course of several spurts of activity, each yielding a few new songs from a terrible drum kit with a literal thrift store guitar. "We've only been into an actual studio like three times," admits Sean Wood. "I don't think we've had one record that was recorded all in one place, this may be the closest thing. And for these songs we'd record a couple tracks, step away and go back at it later- sometimes weeks later. You know, take our time."

Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, brothers Sean and Erin Wood formed The Spits with Lance Phelps in 1993 after realizing rock had gone limp, hated partying and just plain wasn't fun anymore. And even though they didn't even know how to play, the self-professed delinquents who grew up with New Orleans-style jazz and bluegrass "got cultured" and formed a band dead set on reminding the world how to have a good time. The Spits didn't fit in with the punks or the garage heads when they landed in Seattle two years later, but carved out their own path with a series of empty open mic nights and parties under a bridge in the University District. Things started snowballing a year or two later with a good word from Mudhoney's Steve Turner and a reputation for livewire gigs.

By the late 90s/early 00s, The Spits were almost as famous for rowdy shows and outrageous costumes as they were for their acid-fried melodic rippers. Releasing five LPs over the next decade-plus, in addition to EPs and 7-inches, the gospel of The Spits spread far and wide, expanding the band's live legend further and further while giving more fans the chance to hear their uniquely catchy songwriting and punk mayhem. And while several band members have come and gone since their formation, including Wayne Draves and Josh Kramer, The Spits have never lost their edge, never lost their live chops and most importantly, never lost that sense of beer-soaked chaos.

THE SPITS - LIVE DATES

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

09/25: Memphis, TN - Goner Fest

12/09: Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas

12/10: Houston,TX - Secret Group

12/11: New Orleans, LA - Santos

12/15: San Antonio,TX - Paper Tiger

12/18: Mexico City, Mexico - MonkeyBee Festival

01/20: Tacoma, WA - Alma Mater #

01/21: Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre #

01/22: Seattle, WA - Clock-Out Lounge #

01/23: Portland, OR - Dante's #

01/25: San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop #

01/28: Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom #

01/29: Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar #

01/30: San Diego, CA - Casbah #

02/11: Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle

02/12: Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe

02/13: Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop

02/14: Rochester, NY - The Bug Jar

02/16: Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere !

02/17: Baltimore, MD - Ottobar !

02/18: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's !

02/19: Asbury Park, NJ - House Of Independents !

02/22: Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

02/23: Montreal, QC - Bar Le 'Ritz' P.D.B.

02/25: Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground

02/26: Detroit, MI - Outer Limits

# - with VR SEX

! - with Night Birds

Photo Credits: Keith Marlowe