Photo by Jesse Ward
Ella Williams (Squirrel Flower) has announced the Planet EP, out January 28 on Polyvinyl. The tape is an addendum to her fourth studio album, Planet (i), which came out in June. It will feature four self-recorded demos that never made it to the Planet (i) studio sessions, two tracks that did make the sessions but were left off the album, and a cover of Bjork's "unravel."
The "unravel" cover — a slower, softer, sadder version of the original, out today — comes with a lo-fi video of Williams' shaddow, and then Williams herself, in front of a grainy projection of underwater lava cooling into rock.
"I love the way the lava unravels and moves, looks like yarn, looks like a heart," she writes. "It represents to me the tension and pain and exuberance of love.”
Williams has also released a Planet (i) studio session track titled "ruby at dawn," which finds her voice in harmony and in round over gentle organ chords. The track is a summer reverie, an aural projection of flickering images — "I wore her shirt / She wore my shoes," "The air was thick / The bugs were loud" — that make us feel nostalgic for something we never experienced.
Williams will start a North American tour on February 3, five days after the Planet EP's planned release. In April, she'll fly to Europe for an additional two-week run of shows. View all her upcoming dates below.
Squirrel Flower tour dates
2/3 - Rose Bowl Tavern - Urbana, IL %
2/4 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH %
2/5 - The Sanctuary - Hamtramck, MI %
2/6 - Mahall’s 20 Lanes - Lakewood, OH %
2/7 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA %
2/9 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY %
2/10 - Cambridge, MA The Sinclair %
2/11 - Baby’s All Right - Brooklyn, NY &
2/12 - PhilaMOCA - Philadelphia, PA &
2/14 - Songbyrd - Washington, DC &
2/16 - Cat’s Cradle (Back Room) - Carrboro, NC &
2/17 - The Masquerade (Purgatory) - Atlanta, GA &
2/18 - The High Watt - Nashville, TN &
2/19 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY &
2/20 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL &
3/2 - Blueberry Hill Duck Room - St. Louis, MO @
3/3 - George’s Majestic Lounge - Fayetteville, AR @
3/4 - Ruins - Dallas, TX @
3/5 - Meanwhile Brewing - Austin, TX @
3/7- Tucson, AZ - Club Congress @
3/8 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA @
3/9 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA @
3/10 - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA @
3/12 - Polaris Hall - Portland, OR @
3/13 - Barboza - Seattle, WA @
3/15 - The Shredder - Boise, ID @
3/17 - Lost Lake Lounge - Denver, CO @
3/19 - Reverb - Omaha, NE @
3/20 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN @
4/17 - Nice N Sleazy - Glasgow, UK
4/18 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
4/20 - The White Hotel - Manchester, UK
4/21 - Lafayette - London, UK
4/23 - The Louisiana - Bristol, UK
4/24 - The Green Door Store - Brighton, UK
4/26 - Blue Shell - Cologne, DE
4/27 - Rotondes - Luxembourg, LU
4/28 - Molotow Skybar - Hamburg, DE
4/29 - Badehaus - Berlin, DE
5/1 - Paradiso (Small Hall) - Amsterdam, NL
5/3 - Bogen F - Zürich, CH
5/4 - Hasard Ludique - Paris, FR
5/5 - Charlatan - Gent, BE
% w/ Mia Joy
& w/ Christelle Bofale
@ w/ Tenci
