Protomartyr – “Make Way” [Video]

Detroit post-punk band Protomartyr have announced their new album, Formal Growth In The Desert, out June 2nd on Domino, and present its lead single/video, “Make Way.” Additionally, they have announced 2023 North American and EU tour dates (below). Composed of vocalist Joe Casey, guitarist Greg Ahee, drummer Alex Leonard, and bassist Scott Davidson, Protomartyr have become synonymous with caustic, impressionistic assemblages of politics and poetry, the literal and oblique. Casey describes the underlying theme of Formal Growth In The Desert as a 12-song testament to “getting on with life,” even when it feels impossibly hard.

The moody lead single/video, “Make Way,” doubles as Formal Growth In The Desert’s opening track, with Casey beginning the record by facing tragedy head-on: “Welcome to the haunted earth // The living after life // Where we chose to forget // the years of the Hungry Knife.” The accompanying video, directed by Trevor Naud, is a striking cinematic feat. Of the video, Naud says: “There’s a deliberate through-line between the videos for ‘Make Way’ and 2020’s ‘Worm In Heaven.’ The two songs feel partnered with each other, so I wanted the videos to feel like they exist in the same world. There are layers of experiments happening–all within a closed environment. We don’t know what’s happened to the world outside, but there’s an undertone that things maybe aren’t quite right.”

You can order the album HERE.

PROTOMARTYR TOUR DATES (new dates in bold)
Sat. Mar. 11 – Columbus, OH @ Soupfest
Sun. Mar. 12 – Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
Mon. Mar. 13 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Wed. Mar. 15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW- Laneway Official Showcase – Lucille
Thu. Mar. 16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Levitation Showcase – Hotel Vegas
Thu. Mar. 16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Brooklyn Vegan Showcase – Empire
Fri. Mar. 17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Third Man Showcase – 13th Floor
Sat. Mar. 18 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Theater
Mon. Mar. 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel
Tue. Mar. 21 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Wed. Mar. 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram
Fri. Mar. 24 – Bakersfield, CA @ Temblor Brewing
Sat. Mar. 25 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project
Sun. Mar. 26 – Boise, ID @ Treefort
Tue. Mar. 28 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
Wed. Mar. 29 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
Thu. Mar. 30 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
Fri. Mar. 31 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
Tue. June 13 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
Wed. June 14 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount
Fri. June 16 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Sat. June 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Tue. June 20 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Wed. June 21 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Thu. June 22 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Fri. June 23 – Nashville, TN @ Blue Room
Sat. June 24 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
Mon. June 26 – Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th Street
Tue. June 28 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
Wed. June 29 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
Sat. July 1 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Sun. July 2 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe’s Alley
Wed. July 5 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Thu. July 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt
Fri. July 7 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Sat. July 8 – Spokane, WA @ Lucky You
Tue. July 11 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Wed. July 12 – Madison, WI @ High Noon
Thu. July 13 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sun. Aug. 6 – Frankfurt, DE @ Zoom
Mon. Aug. 7 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Wed. Aug. 9 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Thu. Aug. 10 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
Fri. Aug. 11 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb lfor Bach
Sat. Aug. 12 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Mon. Aug. 14 – Eindhoven, NL @ Effenaar
Tue. Aug. 15 – Hannover, DE @ Indiego Glocksee
Thu. Aug. 17 – Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
Fri. Aug. 18 – Bodo, NO @ Parkenfestivalen
Sat. Aug. 19 – Trondheim, NE @ Pstereo
Thu. Oct. 26 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom