Thundercat’s “Black Quails” is a funky teaser of his new record It Is What It Is

Thundercat just announced that his new record It Is What It Is will be released on April 3 via Brainfeeder. Our first glimpse of the new music, “Black Qualls,” is out now. The track features Steve Lacy from The Internet and funk trailblazer Steve Arrington. Listen below.

It Is What It Is will be bassist/singer Stephen Bruner’s fourth Thundercat album, and the follow-up to 2017’s Drunk. It sees him tackling what it’s like to be a young Black American while giving a nod to the musicians who’ve inspired him.

“This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that,” Thundercat shared in a press release. “It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don’t necessarily understand… some things just aren’t meant to be understood.”

Pre-order It Is What It Is here. Thundercat headlines The Fillmore on March 22. Find tickets and more information on the XPN Concert Calendar.

Tour Dates
12/07/19 – Las Vegas – Intersect Festival
02/14/20 – Newark, NJ – NJPAC (w/ Raphael Saadiq and Jamila Woods)
02/28/20 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
02/29/20 – Portland, OR – PDX Jazz Festival
03/01/20 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
03/03/20 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theatre
03/04/20 – Chico, CA – Senator Theatre
03/06/20 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
03/07/20 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
03/08/20 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
03/10/20 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
03/12/20 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
03/13/20 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
03/14/20 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
03/15/20 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
03/17/20 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
03/18/19 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
03/19/20 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
03/21/20 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
03/22/20 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
03/24/20 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
03/28/20 – Silver Springs, MD – The Fillmore Silver Springs
03/29/20 – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival
03/31/20 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
04/01/20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
04/02/20 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
04/04/20 – New Orleans, LA – The Joy Theater
04/05/20 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
04/06/20 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas