Lambchop announces new album ft Justin Vernon on banjo, shares “Weakened”

Lambchop have announced new album Punching the Clown which features Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon on banjo as well as a six-part choir across the whole album. Produced by Ryan Olson, it’s out August 21 via Merge.

“In early 2024 I heard a song on the radio on my way to get some gas. Just a minimal single chord strummed banjo and a small group of voices,” Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner says. “It seemed perfect in the moment as the moment became perfect in itself. I never found out who it was, sounded kinda like early country gospel? In a time of searching I discovered a type of gospel singing known as lined out singing which is said to have begun in the late 1800s in scotland. It migrated to appalachia and became an obscure root of american gospel, country… a spontaneous call and response type of acapella singing led by a clerk with a chorus of singers revealing the raw beauty and power of the human voice with its unique varieties. Its unadorned simplicity gave weight to the words as they were sung. I wanted to make a record that emulated this kind of music.”

First single “Weakened” is out now, and Lambchop will be on tour this fall, including two nights at Brooklyn’s Public Records on October 1 & 2. All dates are listed below.

Punching the Clown:
01 Just West of Nicollet
02 A Doctor in the House
03 Weakened
04 Stella
05 Punching the Clown
06 White People
07 The New World Wave
08 Andrew Jackson Ass Hat
09 Afterburner
10 Cigar
11 To Do
12 No Chicago

Lambchop – 2026 Tour Dates
Jun 28 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Aug 30 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 27 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 29 Chicago, IL – Maurer Hall @ The Old Town School of Music
Oct 01 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Oct 02 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Nov 18 Viseu, PT – Teatro Viriato
Nov 19 Lisbon, PT – Culturgest
Nov 21 Braga, PT – Theatro Circo
Nov 22 Espinho, PT – Auditório de Espinho
Nov 24 Manchester, UK – New Century Hall
Nov 25 Sheffield, UK – Octagon
Nov 26 Gateshead, UK – Sage 2
Nov 27 London, UK – Union Chapel
Nov 28 London, UK – Union Chapel
Dec 01 Dudelange, LU – Opderschmelz
Dec 02 Antwerp, BE – Arenberg
Dec 03 Roeselare, BE – De Spil
Feb 07 Oslo, NO – Konserthus
Feb 09 Trondheim, NO – Byscenen
Feb 11 Copenhagen, DK – DR Koncerthuset
Feb 12 Hamburg, DE – Christianskirche
Feb 13 Berlin, DE – Passionkirche
Feb 14 Erlangen, DE – Markgrafentheater
Feb 16 Vienna, AT – Theater Akzent
Feb 17 Budapest, HU – House Of Music
Feb 19 Glasgow, UK – St Lukes
Feb 20 Galway, IE – St Nicholas’ Church
Feb 21 Dublin, IE – The Helix