David Byrne Shares New Track “She Explains Issues to Me”
Who Is the Sky? Due Out September 5 through Matador
Jul 16, 2025
Images by Shervin Lainez
David Byrne is releasing a brand new album, Who Is the Sky?, September 5 through Matador. Now the previous Speaking Heads frontman has shared its second single, “She Explains Issues to Me.” Pay attention beneath.
The brand new single was partially impressed by Rebecca Solnit’s e book Males Clarify Issues to Me.
Byrne explains in a press launch: “Many occasions I’ve marveled at how a good friend (often a feminine good friend) appears to clock what’s going on in a movie between characters approach earlier than I do. Typically I perceive poetry, however generally I need assistance. Although impressed by the Solnit e book Males Clarify Issues to Me there’s a large distinction—mansplaining is often unasked for, on this case I’m the one asking.”
Beforehand Byrne shared its first single, “Everyone Laughs,” through a music video. It was one in every of our Songs of the Week. Who Is the Sky? options St. Vincent, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, and The Smile’s Tom Skinner.
Child Harpoon (Harry Kinds, Miley Cyrus) produced the album and members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Prepare Orchestra organized the songs. Byrne’s final album was 2018’s American Utopia, which grew to become a Broadway present and a efficiency movie directed by Spike Lee.
Byrne noticed Ghost Prepare Orchestra stay and was impressed to get them concerned within the album. Ghost Prepare Orchestra chief Brian Carpenter says: “David despatched me some demos and requested us to place collectively some orchestral concepts. Curtis Hasselbring and I rapidly wrote a pair tough draft preparations of his songs for Ghost Prepare, together with ‘My House Is My Good friend,’ which was the primary music we rehearsed at our tiny rehearsal house in Chinatown. To listen to him singing with us for the primary time on that music was simply unimaginable.”
Byrne then met Child Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) at a celebration when launched by a mutual good friend. “Typically issues do occur at events,” says Byrne. “I knew this might all get sophisticated and I additionally needed to make sure the recordings sounded nearly as good as potential. An out of doors set of ears will be tremendous useful. A number of artists I knew had labored with Child Harpoon, and I assumed these information sounded actually good.”
Child Harpoon provides: “It took me a second to appreciate, oh yeah, these songs are private, however with David’s distinctive perspective on life usually. Strolling round New York listening to the demo of ‘Everyone Laughs’ was so joyous, as a result of it made me really feel like we’re all the identical—all of us giggle, cry and sing. The factor about David that resonates with lots of people is that he’s in on the joke. He will get the absurdity of all of it, and all of those private observations are his perspective on it.”
Summing up Who Is the Sky?, Byrne says: “At my age, a minimum of for me, there’s a ‘don’t give a shit about what individuals assume’ angle that kicks in. I can step exterior my consolation zone with the data that I form of know who I’m by now and type of know what I’m doing. That stated, each new set of songs, each music even, is a brand new journey. There’s at all times a little bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I’ve discovered that not each collaboration works, however typically after they do, it’s as a result of I’m in a position to clearly impart what it’s I’m attempting to do. They hopefully get that, and because of this, we’re now joined collectively heading to the identical unknown place.”
Speaking Heads not too long ago launched the primary ever music video for his or her 1977 hit “Psycho Killer,” starring actress Saoirse Ronan (Little Girls, Girl Chicken, Brooklyn).
Byrne additionally not too long ago joined Olivia Rodrigo throughout her set at New York’s Governors Ball competition the place they did a spited and playful cowl of Speaking Heads’ traditional “Burning Down the Home.”
Learn our 2020 interview with David Byrne.