John Grant is back with his sixth album, Boy From Michigan which will be out June 25 via Partisan/Bella Union. Cate Le Bon produced the album and John describes it as his most autobiographical album to date, focusing on his adolescence and move to the very Christian and conservative Denver, CO when he was twelve.

That’s very specifically the story of the title track, where John is warned “The American Dream is not for weak, soft-hearted fools” against a rich, mellow and funky sonic tapestry. “I discovered the chord progression in the chorus of ‘Boy from Michigan’ on my OB6 back when I was working on Love is Magic, and while I knew it would eventually become a song, I didn’t know what to do with it yet,” John says. “Sometimes you just know you need to take your time with certain ideas. The song sprang from a moment I experienced when I was about 11 and we were about to move to Colorado from Michigan; my best buddy took me aside and warned me about ‘the world out there’ – so the song is about the transition from childhood to adulthood, the simplicity and innocence of childhood and the oftentimes rude awakening that occurs when one crosses over into adulthood. It’s also about romanticizing the past, which can be dangerous. I don’t believe one can or should live in the past, but if you ignore it, well, you know. I also have to say there are moments when I actually relive the scent of early Spring as the snow was beginning to melt revealing the wet Earth beneath. It’s incredible.”

The video for the song, directed by Casey and Ewan, is a psychedelic horror show made with a variety of animation styles and video effects. It is a major trip and you can watch that, and check out Boy From Michigan‘s artwork and tracklist, below.

‘Boy from Michigan’ tracklist:
1. Boy from Michigan
2. County Fair
3. The Rusty Bull
4. The Cruise Room
5. Mike and Julie
6. Best In Me
7. Rhetorical Figure
8. Just So You Know
9. Dandy Star
10. Your Portfolio
11. The Only Baby
12. Billy