Avett Brothers Ink Deal w/Rubin, American Recs

New EP The Gleam II also en route, plus a shitload of touring.

By Fred Mills

It’s been a poorly kept secret that uber-producer Rick Rubin had been expressing interest in working with North Carolina’s hard-twangin’ Avett Brothers, and now the word is official: the Avetts have signed a contract with Rubin’s American Records (which is distributed through Columbia), and are presently working on their next album with Rubin manning the boards. In a posting to their MySpace site, they call it “our distinct pleasure and honor to be in such fine company.” The full text of that post appears below.

Meanwhile, the Avetts are knee-deep, as usual, on the touring circuit — latest itinerary is listed below also — and BLURT can definitely guarantee that an Avetts concert is an experience not to be missed. You can check out one, ahem, fan’s hyperventilating reaction HERE. And there’s also the upcoming Avetts EP, due July 22 from their longtime label Ramseur, entitled The Gleam II, so be watching for that.

BLURT extends our congratulations to the Avetts & Co. Keep a rockin’, gentlemen.

***

To our dearest fans,

Since we first performed as The Avett Brothers, we have been fortunate enough to find and build a genuine and mutual respect with those who care to listen. It is this kind exchange that champions our music, and allows us the forum to continue on our path, with this work, this art. We believe this to be an appropriate time for a brief update, as we would like for you all to know of the most noteworthy of present developments.


We have recently begun working on a new full length album with Rick Rubin. The recording process has been, and will no doubt continue to be, an experience defined by heightened levels of commitment and conviction. It is our distinct pleasure and honor to be in such fine company as we build and bring this most current chapter of songs to fruition.


With this union has come another ,as we have just completed and signed an agreement with American/Columbia Records, the label with whom we will proudly release our next record. It is our sincere hope, in regard to this news, that our ongoing relationship with Ramseur Records is understood. There have been, and will be no hard feelings or abandon-based resentment from either party involved. The Avett and Ramseur camps remain strongly and truthfully connected, both personally and professionally. There has been no change in these matters through this momentous transition.


For all of you who have gone to such great lengths to show your appreciation, we continue in our most sincere efforts to return the sentiment. The music would go nowhere without you. Our hearts and our minds are on the recording of this next album, and we look forward with great anticipation to sharing it with you all. Until then, thank you as always, and we will see you somewhere on that open road...

Sincerely,
The Avett Brothers
July, 2008

***

Avett Brothers Tour Dates:

Jul 9 2008        8:00P

            River to River Festival            New York, New York

Jul 10 2008      8:00P

            Bottle & Cork             Dewey Beach, Delaware

Jul 11 2008      8:00P

            All Good Festival       Masontown, West Virginia

Jul 12 2008      8:00P

            Paramount Center For The Arts          Bristol, Tennessee

Jul 18 2008      8:00P

            Master Musicians Festival       Somerset, Kentucky

Jul 26 2008      8:00P

            Koka Booth Amphitheatre     Cary, North Carolina

Jul 27 2008      8:00P

            FloydFest        Floyd, Virginia

Jul 29 2008      8:00P

            Higher Ground            Burlington, Vermont

Jul 31 2008      8:00P

            Outerland        Edgartown, Massachusetts

Aug 1 2008     8:00P

            Shangri-La Music Festival      Blue Hill, Maine

Aug 2 2008     8:00P

            Pearl Street      Northampton, Massachusetts

Aug 3 2008     8:00P

            Newport Folk Festival            Newport, Rhode Island

Aug 17 2008   8:00P

            Jackson Hole Music Festival   Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Aug 19 2008   8:00P

            Strings Music Pavilion            Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Aug 20 2008   8:00P

            The Depot       Salt Lake City, Utah

Aug 22 2008   8:00P

            Big Easy Concert House         Boise, Idaho

Aug 23 2008   8:00P

            Secret House Vineyards         Veneta, Oregon

Aug 24 2008   8:00P

            Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre      Portland, Oregon

Aug 27 2008   8:00P

            Woodland Park Zoo   Seattle, Washington

Aug 28 2008   8:00P

            Britt Festival   Jacksonville, Oregon

Aug 30 2008   8:00P

            Strawberry Music Festival      Camp Mather, California

Sep 5 2008      8:00P

            Delta Fair & Music Festival    Memphis, Tennessee

Sep 6 2008      8:00P

            Copper Dragon           Carbondale, Illinois

Sep 7 2008      8:00P

            The Canopy Club        Urbana, Illinois

Sep 10 2008    8:00P

            Cain’s Ballroom          Tulsa, Oklahoma

Sep 11 2008    8:00P

            Granada Theater         Dallas, Texas

Sep 12 2008    8:00P

            Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival   Ozark, Arkansas

Sep 14 2008    8:00P

            Monolith Festival        Morrison, Colorado

Sep 19 2008    8:00P

            Jefferson Center - Shaftman Performance Hall          Roanoke, Virginia

Sep 20 2008    8:00P

            Charlottesville Pavilion           Charlottesville, Virginia

Sep 21 2008    8:00P

            Pier Six Pavilion - with the Drive By Truckers           Baltimore, Maryland

Sep 25 2008    8:00P

            The Jupiter      Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Sep 26 2008    8:00P

            War Memorial Auditorium     Nashville, Tennessee

Sep 27 2008    8:00P

            Coyote’s Music & Dance Hall            Louisville, Kentucky

Oct 2 2008      8:00P

            Georgia Theatre          Athens, Georgia

Oct 3 2008      8:00P

            Georgia Theatre          Athens, Georgia

[Photo Credit: Crackerfarm]