Alt-country-whatever songstress Neko Case has dropped the second single from her forthcoming album, “Hell-On,” and both the song and the album’s title are evocative: According to a press release announcing the song, Case was nearly finished recording the album when she received a 3 a.m. phone call telling her that her house was on fire and would likely be completely destroyed. A friend saved her dogs but the house was toast.
A few hours later, she went into a studio in Stockholm and laid down the vocals for “Bad Luck,” singing lyrics that she had written long before that were now sadly appropriate: “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be / But it’s still pretty bad luck.”
Still, she put her misfortune into perspective: Around the time of the fire, hurricanes had devastated Texas and Puerto Rico and wildfires scorched California. “In the big picture, my house burning was so unimportant,” she says. “So many people lost so much more: lives and lives and lives.”
The song also comes with a teaser video:
Popular on Variety
Case will hit the road this summer, including shows with Ray LaMontagne, at Sasquatch Festival, and newly announced European tour. Full dates below.
Tour Dates
May 27 — Gorge Amphitheatre, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
May 28 — Boise, ID @ Summerfield At Memorial Stadium*
May 30 — Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre*
June 1 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre*
June 2 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*
June 3 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre*
June 5 — Phoenix, CA @ Comerica Theatre*
June 8 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory*
June 9 — Austin, TX @ Austin360 Amphitheatre*
June 10 — Sugarland, TX @ Smart Financial Centre*
June 12 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion*
June 13 — Southaven, MS @ Bankplus Amphitheatre at Snowden Grove*
June 15 — Indianapolis, IN @ Farm Bureau Lawn at White River Amphitheatre*
June 16 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island*
June 17 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheatre*
June 19 — Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*
June 20 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion*
June 22 — Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing*
June 23 — Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*
June 24 — Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*
June 26 — Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theatre*
June 28 — Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion*
June 29 — North Adams, MA @ MASS MOCA*
June 30 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*
July 1 — Detroit, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre*
July 3 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall*
July 4 — Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang*
July 6 — Madison, WI @ Breese Stevens Field*
July 7 — St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House*
July 8 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre*
July 10 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
October 29 — Stockholm, SWE @ Nalen
October 30 — Copenhagen, DEN @ Bremen Theatre
November 1 — Berlin, GER @ Bi Nuu
November 2 — Cologne, GER @ Stadtgarten Cologne
November 4 — Brussels, BEL @ Rotonde – Botanique
November 6 — Dublin, IRE @ Vicar Street
November 7 — Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
November 8 — London, UK @ Barbican
*w/ Ray LaMontagne
