As King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard continue their conquest of the American touring circuit, the far-reaching Australian psych-rockers have released Changes, their third new album of the month and fifth of the year overall. The band previewed the album earlier this week with the release of its opening track, “Hate Dancing“.
For Changes, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard returned to a concept album that has eluded them for five years. Originally recorded and intended for release in 2017—the last time they put out five albums in a single year—the album was put on the shelf and has been gestating until it was finally fit for public consumption. “We wanted to see how far we could take a single idea; a chord+key change from D major to F# major,” the band explained on social media. “What would it sound like if we oscillated between those two keys? Turns out, it sounded pretty good so we took the idea pretty far; we made a whole record.”
“I think of Changes as a song-cycle,” said frontman/multi-instrumentalist Stu Mackenzie of the third Gizzard album of the month, following Laminated Denim and Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava. “Every song is built around this one chord progression—every track is like a variation on a theme. But I don’t know if we had the musical vocabulary yet to complete the idea [in 2017]. We recorded some of it then, including the version of ‘Exploding Suns’ that’s on the finished album. But when the sessions were over, it just never felt done. It was like this idea that was in our heads, but we just couldn’t reach. We just didn’t know yet how to do what we wanted to do. … It’s not necessarily our most complex record, but every little piece and each sound you hear has been thought about a lot.”
Changes was meant to finish out King Gizzard’s marathon year in 2017 but was ultimately held back in favor of Gumboot Soup. Now, the wandering concept album has its chance for redemption as it finishes yet another year prolific studio year for the band.
Purchase your copy of Changes on vinyl via the King Gizzard website here. Stream the full album and check out the various iterations of its cover art below.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Changes – Full Album
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In addition to showering fans with a consistent stream of new recorded music, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have been making their way through the United States on their biggest North American tour to date. On Wednesday night, during a performance at The Eastern in Atlanta, GA, the band marked Mackenzie’s birthday with a slew celebratory antics.
Stu took the stage in a disco costume—wig and mustache included—and later pulled a banana out of his sparkly pants, peeled it, and threw it into the crowd. He also rocked a furry wizard cloak that made its way to the stage as a gift from a fan. Midway through the set, the band presented Mackenzie with a birthday cake. He proceeded to carry it into the crowd and share it with the audience by the handful.
Scroll down the check out photos from the Stu Mackenzie birthday show in Atlanta (via Emily Butler) as well as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s recent stops in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA (via Joey Lugo). For a complete list of upcoming tour dates, head here.
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