Unknown Mortal Orchestra return today with the new single “I Killed Captain Cook” and its accompanying music video. Additionally, the psych-rock project led by Ruban Nielson has unveiled North American and UK tour dates for 2023, their first outing in four years.
When he was a child, Nielson’s mother would tell him the story of Captain James Cook, the English explorer known for colonizing Polynesia and attempting to kidnap Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu before ultimately meeting his demise in Hawaii.
The aptly-titled “I Killed Captain Cook” is told from the perspective of the Hawaiian who rightfully killed Cook in defense of their homeland: “One of the many lies that they told/ Was that they were divine and fair/ With Cook’s blood on my hand/ The spell was broken there,” goes the final verse of the gentile acoustic track.
Nielson’s mother appears in the “I Killed Captain Cook” music video, which also features a Kanaka Maoli (Indigenous Polynesian people from Hawaii), as well as Miss Aloha Hula 1973, who you can see on the single art.
According to a press release, “I Killed Captain Cook” is the first preview of a forthcoming double album due out in 2023.
As for their tour, Unknown Mortal Orchestra will hit the road beginning on March 20th in Spokane, Washington. The run includes stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Detroit, and New York City before heading to the UK, wrapping up in Glasgow on June 17th. Tickets go on sale October 28th at 10:00 a.m. local time, and you can grab yours at Ticketmaster.
Last year, UMO shared the singles “That Life” and “Weekend Run,” and also teamed up with The Free Nationals and Daniel Caesar on “Beauty & Essex.” Their last proper LP was 2018’s Sex & Food.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra 2023 Tour Dates:
03/20 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Spokane
03/22 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
03/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
03/27 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
03/31 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
04/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
04/02 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
04/04 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/05 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/06 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
04/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/08 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
04/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
04/11 – Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/13 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/14 – New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
04/22 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
05/30 – Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion
05/31 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
06/15 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
06/16 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
06/17 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers