Hiatus Kaiyote will release Mood Valiant, their new album, on Brainfeeder and Ninja Tune.

Hiatus Kaiyote, a twice-Grammy-nominated band from Melbourne, Australia, is comprised of Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield (guitar, vocals), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keys), and Perrin Moss (drums). Their new album follows 2015’s Choose Your Weapon on Flying Buddha.

The album’s six-year journey began on the road, as they added new material to their sets in support of Choose Your Weapon. By the fall of 2018, the backing tracks had largely been laid, ready for vocals. Then, during a brief swing through the United States, Saalfield was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her mother’s death from the same disease was never far from her mind. She returned home to undergo a life-saving mastectomy. As she recovered, the band turned back to their work with altered perspectives. Her lyrics, even those written before her illness, took on a prescient quality, we’re told.

“When you think your life is going to be taken away from you, it makes you think about who you are,” Saalfield says. “I guess after the breast cancer scare I decided that I needed to prove to life that the offering I have is genuine. My only wish is to live and offer my experience of time and beauty.”

Later, in 2019, the band travelled to Rio de Janeiro to work with legendary Brazilian artist Arthur Verocai, which shifted the vibe of the entire album. The sessions also brought two new songs onto the album, namely “Stone Or Lavender” and “Red Room”

The result is an album that “relaxes into a groove,” we’re told. Behind everything is Hiatus’ familiar sense of musical adventure, their knack for making the complex sound simple, or in their own words “wondercore.”

Tracklisting

01. Flight Of The Tiger Lily
02. Sip Into Something Soft
03. Chivalry Is Not Dead
04. And We Go Gentle
05. Get Sun feat. Arthur Verocai
06. All The Words We Don’t Say
07. Hush Rattle
08. Rose Water
09. Red Room
10. Sparkle Tape Break Up
11. Stone Or Lavender
12. Blood And Marrow

Mood Valiant LP is scheduled for June 25 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “Get Sun” feat. Arthur Verocai below and pre-order here.