Black Belt Eagle Scout At the Party with My Brown Friends

Black Belt Eagle Scout announces North American tour and new single.

“Encased in swirls of dream-pop production, [At the Party With My Brown Friends] represents a softer, more subtle sort of resistance.” — NPR Music

“Paul is free, so long as she sings, to draw no lines around who she is and what she loves. . . She makes no apologies, feels no inadequacy. Over the course of [At the Party With My Brown Friends], this near-hour spent in the presence of the people she loves, she is reminded that she is equal to any challenge which may befall her.” — Pitchfork

“Throughout [At the Party With My Brown Friends], her voice cascades gently, acting not just as a carrying case for emotion, but as a soothing instrument in itself. It’s a transformation that makes Black Belt Eagle Scout sound more assured and driven, building off last year’s breakout moment.” — The AV Club

Black Belt Eagle Scout – moniker of Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – announces a North American tour and releases a video for “I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song,” off last year’s At the Party With My Brown Friends. As described by Paul, the song “is about an initial thought that you don’t think will come to fruition, but for whatever circumstances, does. It’s about that kind of craving emotion within oneself that just turns up and has to come out of you no matter what.”

Its animated video was edited and directed by Chantal Jung (Inujuk Nunatsiavutimi), and is meant to raise awareness of the Alaskan coastline and its deep connection with Indigenous people and animals. “The video features Northern imagery that shows aspects of Inuit life, including cloudberry picking, animal relatives and Arctic landscapes,” describes Jung. “People often forget that our livelihoods are extremely connected to the environment, including the animals and plants that live among us. This video is meant to bring awareness of the land, the animals and the people who protect the land.”

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “I Said I Wouldn’t Write This Song” Video –
https://youtu.be/cjijLjG-ZKA

Black Belt Eagle Scout will tour North America and Europe this spring. She’ll play many cities not yet visited in support of At the Party With My Brown Friends. A full list of dates can be found below and tickets are on sale this Friday, February 7th at 10:00AM local time.

Stream/Purchase At the Party With My Brown Friends
https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Watch/Listen:
“At the Party” stream – https://youtu.be/gk3FLRe4tAM
“My Heart Dreams” video – https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw
“Run It To Ya” video – https://youtu.be/fYIC6WNweKg

Black Belt Eagle Scout Tour Dates:
Sat. Feb. 22 – Austin, TX @ OUTsider @ The Vortex
Tue. Feb. 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox (w/ Death Cab for Cutie)
Wed. Feb. 26 – Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown
Thu. Feb. 27 – Anacortes, WA @ The Business
Fri. Feb. 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
Sat. Feb. 29 – Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar
Thu. March 26 – Calgary, AB @ The Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club
Fri. March 27 – Edmonton, AB @ The Rec Room
Sat. March 28 – Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina
Tue. March 31 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
Wed. April 1 – Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival @ The Mill
Fri. April 3 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade
Sat. April 4 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Sun. April 5 – Tallahassee, FL @ Word of South Festival (solo)
Tue. April 7 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s
Wed. April 8 – Toronto, ON @ The Monarch
Thu. April 9 – Ottawa, ON @ Club SAW
Fri. April 10 – Montreal, QB @ L’esco
Sat. April 11 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace
Sun. April 12 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Mon. April 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
Tue. April 14 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Thu. April 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ BRIC House
Fri. April 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto Project
Sat. April 18 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
Sun. April 19 – Columbia, MO @ Café Berlin
Tue. April 21 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Wed. April 22 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Colorado College
Fri. April 24 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar
Mon. May 18 – Berlin, DE @ Burg Schnabel
Tue. May 19 – Hamburg, DE @ Uebel & Gefährlich
Thu. May 21 – Utrecht, NL @ Brewpub De Kromme Haring
Fri. May 22 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Sat. May 23 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
Sun. May 24 – Leeds, UK @ Hyde Park Book Club
Mon. May 25 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
Tue. May 26 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
Wed. May 27 – London, UK @ Colours
Fri. May 29 – Heidelberg, DE @ Queerfestival @ Karlstorbahnof
Sat. May 30 – Brussels, BE @ Witloof Bar

Keep your mind open.

[Don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here.]

Black Belt Eagle Scout goes to prom with her new single “Run It to Ya.”

“Black Belt Eagle Scout…is one of my favorite indiepop songwriters of late, in the vein of Palehound or Jay Som—tight, soft vocals placed high in the mix, competing with and complimenting an anxious guitar riff.” – Jezebel

“[At The Party With My Brown Friends] highlight Paul’s vocals more than they do her guitar work—she still knows how to shred, but there’s a pronounced confidence in vocal-forward tracks” – The AV Club

“[‘My Heart Dreams’] features Paul’s signature delicate vocals, fervent guitar playing and romantic, poignant lyricism.” – Paste

Black Belt Eagle Scout – the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – presents a video for “Run It to Ya,” the final pre-release single from her new album, At the Party With My Brown Friends. Following “My Heart Dreams” and “At the Party,” “Run It to Ya” is about the gentleness of love and how wondrous it can feel at times from the point of view of a queer Indigenous womxn. The video was directed by Evan James Benally Atwood.

“It felt natural for the ‘Run It to Ya’ music video to star queer indigenous womxn and show their love story unfold. The setting is a queer Indigenous prom, a space where we can truly be ourselves without the ridicules of white settler colonialism. It’s a realm where we can reimagine what our lives look like as queer Indigenous people; what is normally a heteronormative space turns into a magical place where people have the freedom to safely love how they choose.

“Throughout my work, I intend to show the thriving lives of Indigenous people, and how we are often excluded from mainstream rock music and the media. This exclusion is detrimental to our health and our existence. I am trying to show what my life is like so that other people can see how we have the right to thrive in this world and have the ability to decolonize.”

Where her 2018 debut, Mother of My Children, was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of Paul’s standing as a radical Indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Paul’s beautifully singular artistic vision.

Black Belt Eagle Scout was named a favorite new artist of 2018 by NPR Music, Stereogum, Paste and Under The Radar, and Pitchfork named her debut a Best Rock Album of 2018. She will continue to tour extensively, playing headline dates this fall before supporting Devendra Banhart later this year.

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “Run It to Ya” video – https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Listen to “At the Party” – https://youtu.be/gk3FLRe4tAM

Watch “My Heart Dreams” video https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw

Pre-order At the Party With My Brown Friends https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Black Belt Eagle Scout tour dates: Sat. Sept. 7 – Sun. Sept. 8 – Portland, OR @ XOXO Fest Mon. Oct. 21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Thu. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Wed. Oct. 30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater * Fri. Nov. 1 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * Sat. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * Sun. Nov. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Tue. Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone * Wed. Nov. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam Thu. Nov. 7 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse Fri. Nov. 8 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 Sat. Nov. 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records Sun. Nov. 10 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Thu. Nov. 12 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Wed. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord Thu. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar Fri. Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA @ Ché Café Sat. Nov. 16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Sun. Nov. 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Tue. Nov. 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Wed. Nov. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Fri. Nov. 22 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry Sun. Nov. 24 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Tue. Nov. 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Wed. Nov. 27 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Sat. Nov. 30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit * Sun. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall * Tue. Dec. 3 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia * Wed. Dec. 4 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre * Thu. Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * Sat. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Sun. Dec. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * *= w/ Devendra Banhart

Keep your mind open.

[Run over to the subscription box while you’re here.]

Black Belt Eagle Scout presents “My Heart Dreams” and announces North American tour.

“‘At the Party,’ finds a slice of solace in navigating the human experience with similarly marginalized friends by her side. Here, ‘the party’ is the crooked world Paul journeys in solidarity with her fellow POC; together, they make the best of life’s wayward turns.” – Pitchfork

“Katherine Paul delivers hums and oooh’s that melt into the mellow drums, creating a foggy, subdued mesh of pretty sounds.” – FADER on “At the Party”

“[‘At the Party’] is an astounding reverb-soaked number with sprawling guitars that track up and down the length of the neck as Paul easily transitions between near-whispered verses and heady falsetto choruses.” – UPROXX

Black Belt Eagle Scout – the recording project of multi-instrumentalist Katherine Paul – presents a new single / video, “My Heart Dreams,” from her forthcoming album, At the Party With My Brown Friends, due August 30th via Saddle Creek. In conjunction, she announces a headline North American tour. “My Heart Dreams” follows lead single “At the Party.” Written in Ohlone land during a transitional part of Paul’s life, “My Heart Dreams” expresses a consuming desire to find new love in the midst of heartbreak. The accompanying video, filmed by Angel Two Bulls and co-directed by Angel and Paul, depicts Paul wandering amongst the Portland Pride parade, the scene eventually turning into a live performance.

“The idea behind this video was to do something fun while showing the resilience of the Indigenous people, particularly women and girls, which is why I chose to have the Black Belt Eagle Scout band be portrayed by young Indigenous girls.” describes Paul. “In an age where Missing and Murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) are finally getting the attention they deserve, it’s important to make their strength visible. The justice around MMIW is something we should all be paying closer attention to and I hope my platform serves to heighten awareness. The girls and extras in the video are members of the Portland Two Spirit Society, a special group of LGBTQ Indigenous and Native American/Alaska Natives and the Portland All Nations Canoe Family.”

Where her 2018 debut, Mother of My Children, was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of Paul’s standing as a radical indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Paul’s beautifully singular artistic vision.

Black Belt Eagle Scout was named a favorite new artist of 2018 by NPR Music, Stereogum, Paste and Under The Radar. She will continue to tour extensively, playing Sled Island, Newport Folk Festival, and Pickathon this summer before embarking on a headlining North American tour. Then, she will support Devendra Banhart on tour later this fall. Tickets are on sale now. One dollar from every ticket sold through presale will be donated to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. All dates can be found below.

Watch Black Belt Eagle Scout’s “My Heart Dreams” Video https://youtu.be/cmGP7WZO4Pw

Listen to “At the Party” https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Pre-order At the Party With My Brown Friends https://bbes.ffm.to/atpwmbf

Black Belt Eagle Scout tour dates: Thu. Aug. 1 – Seattle, WA @ ARTS at King Street Station Fri. Aug. 2 & Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Wed. Aug. 21 – Victoria, BC @ Bastion Square Parkade Thu. Aug. 22 – Seattle, WA @ Olympic Sculpture Hall Sun. Aug. 25 – Port Townsend, WA @ Thing Mon. Oct. 21 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Thu. Oct. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern Wed. Oct. 30 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater * Fri. Nov. 1 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * Sat. Nov. 2 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater * Sun. Nov. 3 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall * Tue. Nov. 5 – Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone * Wed. Nov. 6 – St. Louis, MO @ Foam Thu. Nov. 7 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse Fri. Nov. 8 – Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7 Sat. Nov. 9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records Sun. Nov. 10 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux Thu. Nov. 12 – Reno, NV @ Holland Project Wed. Nov. 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord Thu. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar Fri. Nov. 15 – San Diego, CA @ Ché Café Sat. Nov. 16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Sun. Nov. 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Tue. Nov. 19 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile Wed. Nov. 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Fri. Nov. 22 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda Sat. Nov. 23 – Dallas, TX @ The Foundry Sun. Nov. 24 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Tue. Nov. 26 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge Wed. Nov. 27 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR Sat. Nov. 30 – Detroit, MI @ Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit * Sun. Dec. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall * Tue. Dec. 3 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia * Wed. Dec. 4 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre * Thu. Dec. 5 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel * Sat. Dec. 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * Sun. Dec. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer * *= w/ Devendra Banhart

Keep your mind open.

[My heart dreams of you subscribing.]