The Lemonheads officially announce their forthcoming full-length studio album, Townesville, a collection dedicated entirely to the songs of legendary Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt out on January 22nd 2027 via Fire Records. Recorded in Nashville, the record captures a mature Evan Dando at his most raw and honest, an artist who, much like Van Zandt himself, has lived every mile of his songs, carrying the restless spirit of a true American troubadour.
For those who might have missed him, Townes Van Zandt was a cult musician heralded as a songwriter’s songwriter.
Carefully curated by Dando alongside his wife and producer, Antonia Teixeira, Townesville is anchored by a sense of family, warm connection, and remarkable synchronicity. The project’s sonic foundation came together after Lemonheads drummer John Kent introduced the couple to Paul deVincenzo and Joey McClellan of Brethren Sound, setting a collaborative tone that carried through the entire process.
Far from a standard homage, Townesville weaves an intimate circle of guest appearances across its track list. Katie Belle Van Zandt, Townes’ daughter, contributes percussive spoons, bringing direct ancestral lineage straight into the recordings. Brazilian music icon Almir Sater brings the resonant, rustic warmth of central Brazil with his signature viola caipira work. Dando shares a moving duet with his stepdaughter, Beatriz Sater, marking one of the album’s most poignant vocal highlights. Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers) lends his distinct vocal presence to the iconic ballad “Pancho and Lefty.” Emerging Nashville band Paperview provides youthful energy and harmony to the project’s layered soundscapes.
At its core, Townesville highlights the rare kinship between Evan Dando and Townes Van Zandt. Both artists possess an innate ability to turn vulnerability into song, drifting through life with a guitar and an unwavering commitment to musical truth. Stripped of pretence and captured with raw authenticity, Dando’s voice shines with the clarity of a songwriter who has weathered the storm and emerged with his craft intact.
Townes: “I don’t think they’re all that sad. I have a few that aren’t sad, they’re, like… hopeless. Totally hopeless situations. The rest aren’t sad they’re just the way it goes.”
“The Lemonheads are one of my favourite bands” Jimmy Fallon
“If there’s one trait that binds the full Lemonheads discography from start to finish, it’s the ability to line their angst with an optimistic sheen.” BANDCAMP
THE LEMONHEADS
TOUR DATES
04 Feb: Jergels, Pittsburgh, PA, US
05 Feb: House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ, US
06 Feb: Space Ballroom, Hamden, CT, US
07 Feb: Greenwich Odeum, East Greenwich, RI, US
10 Feb: Brighton Music Hall, Boston, MA, US
11 Feb: Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY, US
12 Feb: Ottobar, Baltimore, MD, US
13 Feb: Motorco Music Hall, Durham, NC, US
15 Feb: Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL, US
17 Feb: Las Rosas, Miami, FL, US
18 Feb: The Orpheum, Tampa, FL, US
19 Feb: The Abbey, Orlando, FL, US
20 Feb: The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA, US
22 Feb: White Oak Music Hall, Houston, TX, US
23 Feb: Radio/East, Austin, TX, US
24 Feb: Tulips, Fort Worth, TX, US
26 Feb: Tumbleroot, Santa Fe, NM, US
27 Feb: Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ, US
28 Feb: The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA, US
02 Mar: Casbah, San Diego, CA, US
04 Mar: Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles, CA, US
05 Mar: Goldfield Trading Post, Roseville, CA, US
06 Mar: The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA, US
07 Mar: August Hall, San Francisco, CA, US
10 Mar: Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR, US
11 Mar: El Corazon, Seattle, WA, US
12 Mar: Treefort Music Hall, Boise, ID, US
14 Mar: Gothic Theatre, Denver, CO, US
16 Mar: The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE, US
17 Mar: Turf Club, St Paul, MN, US
19 Mar: Majestic Theatre, Madison, WI, US
20 Mar: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL, US
21 Mar: Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI, US
24 Mar: Hi-Fi, Indianapolis, IN, US
25 Mar: Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, US
26 Mar: Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH, US
27 Mar: Rumba Cafe, Columbus, OH, US
