International alt-pop band Yumi Zouma have released “Where The Light Used To Lay,” the latest single from their eagerly awaited new album, Present Tense. The poignant track arrives alongside the second in a mesmerizing trilogy of official music videos directed by filmmaker Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell, Listen up Philip), premiering today. Present Tense arrives via Polyvinyl on Friday, March 18; pre-orders are available now.
“‘Where The Light Used To Lay’ eventually revealed itself as a bittersweet song about the agony of detangling your life as you break up and the enticing future, clarity, and lightness that the end of the tunnel can offer,” says co-founder/multi-instrumentalist Josh Burgess. “When we first started writing the song in 2019, we were all in long-term relationships. By the time the final mix was completed in the Fall of 2021, only one of those remained (thanks COVID). It’s funny how songs can end up revealing themselves in surprising ways, even to their writers. It’s equal parts confronting and calming, knowing that the subconscious starts processing long before the conscious comes to it. Regardless, it’s nice to have a moment with a song where you go ‘damn, ain’t that the truth.’”
The New Zealand-born band’s fourth studio album, Present Tense was first heralded by the rousing “In The Eyes Of Our Love,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services; an official music video – Part I in the trilogy directed by filmmaker Perry – is streaming now. The track was met by high praise from such outlets as Stereogum, which declared it “a soft but propulsive pop song with some serious melodic hooks” and “a worthy entry in Yumi Zouma’s growing catalog and in the rich history of New Zealand indie-pop.”
Yumi Zouma will celebrate Present Tense with an epic world tour, including a North American run beginning April 7 at Atlanta, GA’s Terminal West and then continuing through early May. Special guests include NoSo (April 7-15), JORDANN (April 16-17), Mini Trees (April 18-25), Noble Oak (April 28), and Beauty Queen (April 29-May 6). For ticket availability and additional information, please visit yumizouma.com.
MARCH
17 – Birmingham, UK – The Sunflower Lounge
18 – London, UK – Lafayette
19 – Manchester, UK – Yes
21 – Dublin, Ireland – Whelan’s
22 – Glasgow, UK – King Tut’s
24 – Paris, France – Le Hasard Ludique
25 – Brussels, Belgium – Botanique
27 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Melkweg
28 – Hamburg, Germany – Turmzimmer
29 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Ideal Bar Vega
31 – Stockholm, Sweden – Obaren
APRIL
1 – Oslo, Norway – KRXSSET
3 – Berlin, Germany – Burg Schnabel
4 – Warsaw, Poland – Praga Centrum
7 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West *
8 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall *
9 – Washington, DC – Black Cat *
12 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *
13 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
14 – Boston, MA – The Sinclair *
15 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room *
16 – Montréal, QC – Petit Campus **
17 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern **
18 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop †
20 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall †
21 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon †
22 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club †
23 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck †
25 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater †
28 – Vancouver, BC – The Fox Cabaret §
29 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile ‡
30 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios ‡
MAY
3 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent ‡
5 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy ‡
6 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah ‡
* w/Special Guest NoSo
** w/Special Guest JORDANN
† w/Special Guest Mini Trees
§ w/Special Guest Nobel Oak
‡ w/Special Guest Beauty Queen