Deer Tick Puts Family First With New Single ‘If I Try To Leave’

Deer Tick has shared “If I Try To Leave,” the final single previewing their anticipated new album Emotional Contracts – produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Sleater-Kinney), due to drop this Friday, June 16 via ATO Records.

The first-ever co-write between John McCauley (vocals/guitar) and Ian O’Neil (guitar), “If I Try To Leave” arrives alongside an Ian Stroud-directed video that parodies “how-to” videos on the internet, featuring questionable culinary delights courtesy of Farideh Sadeghin. You can check it out below.

The buzzing “If I Try To Leave,” partly inspired by the warmth and grit of Keith Richards’ solo records, builds a sublimely bombastic backdrop to the song’s lucid self-revelation, illuminating Deer Tick’s undeniable gift for twisting melancholy into something glorious. “The overall theme of this song is family and how I’ve come to rely on it,” explains McCauley. “I need my family as a grounding force in my life. My survival depends on it, and I like it that way.”

“If I Try To Leave” follows radio-hit “Forgiving Ties,” which debuted as the #1 most added track at AAA radio, and “Once In A Lifetime,” which earned praise and support from publications including Brooklyn Vegan, SPIN, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Consequence, Relix, and more.

Deer Tick are also set to embark on a six-week summer U.S. tour that includes a west coast run supporting Jason Isbell. Three new East Coast tour dates in August were also just announced; a full itinerary is listed below and tickets are on sale now. Visit the band’s official website for further information,

Emotional Contracts, the band’s ATO debut and first new work since 2017, adds an even greater vitality to their feverish collection of timeless rock-and-roll, and features guest musicians including the in-demand Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, as well as background vocals from singer/songwriters Courtney Marie Andrews and Vanessa Carlton.

Pre-order Emotional Contracts.

Deer Tick: North American shows:

6/14 – Portsmouth NH @ Cisco Brewers
6/15 – Matunuck, RI @ Ocean Mist (SOLD OUT)
6/16 – Matunuck, RI @ Ocean Mist (SOLD OUT)
6/17 – Matunuck, RI @ Ocean Mist (SOLD OUT)
6/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird
6/21 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
6/22 – Indianapolis, IN @ HI-FI Annex
6/23 – Milwaukee WI @ Summerfest
6/24 – Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow (SOLD OUT)
6/25 – Wisconsin Dells, WI @ Showboat Saloon (SOLD OUT)
6/27 – Ft Collins @ Washington’s
6/29 – Stanford, CA @ Frost Amphitheatre*
6/30 – Quincy, CA @ High Sierra Music Festival
7/1 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater*
7/2/23 – Canby, OR @ Clackamas County Fairgrounds*
7/4 – Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amp*
7/5 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo*
7/6 – Spokane, WA @ Martin Woldson Theatre*
7/8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden*
7/9 – Dillon, CO @ Lake Dillon Amphitheatre*
7/11 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre*
7/12 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s*
7/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre*
7/15 – Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre*
7/16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Wynn Las Vegas*
8/03 – Baltimore, MD @ WTMD First Thursday Festival
8/04 – Fairfield, CT @ The Warehouse at FTC
8/05 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
10/12 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
10/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10/15 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
10/17 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
10/19 – New Orleans, LA @ Chickie Wah Wah
10/20 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater
10/21 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/22 – Ft Worth, TX @ Tulips
11/8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
11/9 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
11/10 – Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
11/11 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
11/12 – Homer NY @ Homer Center for the Arts
11/14 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
11/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
11/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/18 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
11/24 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre
11/25 – Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre

(* Supporting Jason Isbell)