Sam Prekop to Issue First Solo Album in Nearly Five Years

Sam Prekop, guitarist and vocalist for Chicago-based post-rockers The Sea and Cake, is getting set to release his first solo album in nearly five years and second overall, entitled Who's Your New Professor. Prekop hasn't yet revealed the finalized tracklist for the album, which is tentatively scheduled for a March release on Thrill Jockey, but according to a report on Billboard.com, "the album finds Prekop's trademark breathy crooning wrapped around 11 warm, loose tracks that defy easy categorization." Lazy bastards.

Prekop was slightly more forthcoming on the sound of the new album, versus the Brazilian influence prevalent on his first record. "My Curtis Mayfield fixation reared its ugly head more times on this record than the first one," he said. "I'm not anti-Brazilian music-- I just wanted to try [and] ease up on it this time." Prekop's Sea and Cake bandmate Archer Prewitt played on Professor, along with bassist Josh Abrams, drummer Chad Taylor, and cornet player Rob Mazurek.

Prekop will support the record via extensive touring beginning in March, hitting larger U.S. cities at first, as well as Japan. Says Prekop: "In April, at least some of us will be going to Europe, but I don't know if the whole band will be able to do that." May and June will see Prekop back in the U.S. for a longer stateside jaunt. As for The Sea and Cake, Prekop says the band will get started on its next album soon.

.: Sam Prekop at Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com/bandpage.html?artistnum=29