Experimental rock act Deerhoof returns this fall with its ninth album, “Offend Maggie,” due Oct. 7 via Kill Rock Stars. The 14-song set marks a change in the way the group would normally prepare for the studio — this time, it decided to actually rehearse.
“We basically [used to show] each other song ideas and then that day turn the record button on, having never rehearsed,” drummer Greg Saunier tells Billboard.com. “This time we wrote the songs and rehearsed them, and actually played them at a few concerts where we could play them straight through as a band.”
But Deerhoof’s newfound methods have not made the band any less challenging. “Offend Maggie” extends Deerhoof’s schizophrenic approach to melding rock, electronics and free jazz sounds, but also introduces new guitarist Ed Rodriguez, expanding the group to a full-time four-piece.
“Ed’s music, in its way, is so flexible,” Saunier explains. “He’s working with combinations of notes in a sort of very academic way, which could be turned into anything. We turned his ideas into something completely unlike what we would have foreseen.”
In a unique twist, Deerhoof plans to make sheet music available for an as-yet-undetermined song from the new album, allowing fans to create their own recorded interpretations before having heard the finished album version. A Web site will be set up in the next few weeks for fans to upload their work.
Deerhoof’s fall tour plans are currently being worked out, but a few dates in Japan and the U.S. are on the books for later this month.
Here is the track list for “Offend Maggie”:
“The Tears and Music of Love”
“Chandelier Searchlight”
“Buck and Judy”
“Snoopy Waves”
“Offend Maggie”
“Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back”
“Don’t Get Born”
“My Purple Past”
“Family of Others”
“Fresh Born”
“Eaguru Guru”
“This Is God Speaking”
“Numina O”
“Jagged Fruit”
