Kurt Vile Debuts Single From Upcoming Album On WXPN

Kurt Vile stopped by WXPN Monday afternoon to premiere his new single “Chance to Bleed” and talk about his upcoming 10th album with host Mike Vasilikos during the afternoon show.

Philadelphia’s been good to me comes out May 29 on Verve Records. The first single, “Chance to Bleed,” drops everywhere Tuesday along with the music video.

Vile is also finally playing Dell Music Center, headlining night two of former Eagles player Connor Barwin’s Make The World Better concerts in July.

“I always wanted to play the Dell,” he told Vasilikos. “I saw The War on Drugs play the Dell for one of their albums, and now it’s my turn.”

He’ll also embark on a massive world tour this year that kicks off June 16 in Toronto. But Philly, as always, is home base.

“I go all over the world, I see the world, it’s a beautiful world out there,” he said. “But I come back and I still say Philadelphia is the most beautiful place in the world.”

With the semiquincentennial celebrations, World Cup games, the MLB All-Star Game, the PGA Championship, and more happening in and around Philly this year, the city is primed to have all eyes on it. Vile said he felt the need to shout the city out to “claim it” and “bring it all back home to where I’m from.”

“I need to call it out before somebody else does,” he said.

Vile described the album’s title track as “pretty and hypnotic,” and said producer Rob Schnapf really made him realize this is his “Philly record.”

“Bringin’ it all back home, fo’ sho’,” he said.

And “Chance to Bleed” is a guitar riff fest combined with Vile’s classic lyrical style that toes the line of sincere and goofy.

“You got a chance to bleed now with that low fi, DIY rock and roll nights,” he sings, with guest vocals from Natalie Hoffman (NOTS, Optic Sink), Ethan Buckler (King, Slint), and Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound, The Oblivions). Cartwright also trades off electric guitar leads with Vile throughout the track; the riffage literally does not stop until the song ends. Vile said Philadelphia’s been good to me is his “best electric guitar record.”

The track came about in Vile’s basement.

“I recorded these cool, more up-tempo for me, rock and roll chord loops,” he said. “One day, the chorus came to me in my basement and I just sang it into my phone.”

Vile worked with the folks mentioned above — as well as bassist Adam Langellotti, drummer Kyle Spence, and guitarist Jesse Trbovich — in Athens, Memphis, and Los Angeles before the song was complete.

“We dubbed the hell out of it, added all these vocals and guitars. It’s a lot of dimensions,” he said. “It’s high ‘NRG’ music, and it’s a banger.”

As for the video, Vile and company filmed it at Kung Fu Necktie here in Philly. It’s loaded with special guests, including “19-year-old” English comedian and musician Jim E. Brown and legendary Philly rapper Schoolly D, who dons his signature fur coat in the video.

Check back here at 10 a.m. Tuesday to watch the video and stream the song.