Earlier this year, the great underground rap veteran and all-around gadfly Open Mike Eagle announced that he’d formed a new group called Previous Industries with his old friends and collaborators Still Rift and Video Dave. The three rappers, all Chicagoans who now live in Los Angeles, are old friends, and they’ve been working together for a long time. The formation of this group feels more like a formality than anything, but they dropped the two-song single “Showbiz” b/w “Braids.” Now, they’ve got a full album on the way.
This summer, Previous Industries will release their full-length debut Service Merchandise. “Showbiz” and “Braids” are both on the album, and so is the brand-new single “Pliers.” Over a Child Actor beat, all three rappers trade off dense verses, with nobody pausing for a hook. Video Dave directed the “Pliers” video, which puts all three rappers on the boat from Jaws. Below, check out the video, the Service Merchandise tracklist, and Previous Industries’ upcoming tour dates.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Showbiz”
02 “Pliers”
03 “Braids”
04 “Roebuck”
05 “Montgomery Ward”
06 “White Hen”
07 “Babbage’s”
08 “Fotomat”
09 “Dominick’s”
10 “Zayre”
11 “Kay Bee”
TOUR DATES:
7/22 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement
7/23 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
7/25 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Merge 35 Festival)
7/26 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
7/27 – Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
7/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (Zone One)
7/29 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
7/30 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom
8/02 – Dallas, TX @ Ruins
8/03 – Austin, TX @ Ballroom (Inside)
9/27 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
9/28 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
9/29 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
10/01 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/02 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne
10/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Neck of the Woods
10/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Service Merchandise is out 6/28 on Merge.
