Listen to Bishop Allen’s New Single “Why I Had To Go”

July 17th, 2014

Nina Corcoran

Brooklyn indie pop group Bishop Allen will be returning to the scene this year when their first album in five years, Lights Out, drops August 19 via Dead Oceans. They reminded us why we love them with their uber catchy lead single “Start Again,” and now they’re keeping us wrapped around their finger with “Why I Had To Go.”

“Why I Had To Go” has an effortless smile strung on its face, reminding us why we first fell in love with Bishop Allen back in 2003. The single starts with punchy keys that lean back gently when delicate guitar lines wrap around them and then Justin Rice’s clever lines stop in with witty phrasing and a wide-eyed view of the world. It’s another reason we’ve anxious to hear the album in full. Give the single a listen and check out tour dates below:

Bishop Allen 2014 Tour:

Sat. Aug. 16 – Kingston, NY @ Chronogram Block Party
Wed. Aug. 20 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
Thu. Aug. 21 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
Fri. Aug. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Sat. Aug. 23 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Sun. Aug. 24 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
Mon. Aug. 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Tue. Aug. 26 – Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar
Thu. Aug. 28 – New Orleans, LA @ The Beatnik
Fri. Aug. 29 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea Cafe
Sat. Aug. 30 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
Sun. Aug. 31 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links
Mon. Sept. 1 – Norman, OK @ Opolis
Wed. Sept. 3 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
Thu. Sept. 4 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Sat. Sept. 6 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
Sun. Sept. 7 – Columbus, OH @ Treehouse
Mon, Sept. 8 – Akron, OH @ Musica
Sat. Sept. 27 – Champaign, IL @ Pygmalion Festival
Sun. Sept. 28 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Thu. Oct. 2 – Seattle, WA @ Lofi
Sat. Oct. 4 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Sun. Oct. 5 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
Tue. Oct. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
Wed. Oct. 8 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Fri. Oct. 10 – Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
Tue. Oct. 14 – Hamden, CT @ The Ballroom at Outer Space