After a three-year absence, Unknown Mortal Orchesta reemerged last year with a pair of singles, "Weekend Run" and "That's Life." Now the vibey, funky psych-pop project is back with something a bit different.
The acoustic "I Killed Captain Cook" has its roots in Ruban Nielson's cultural heritage. His mother, Deedee Aipolani Nielson, is a Kanaka Maoli from Hilo and was named Miss Aloha Hula 1973. That's her on the cover art and in the music video. When Nielson was a child, his mom told him about the demise of Captain James Cook, the English explorer who spearheaded the colonization of Polynesia and was eventually killed by a Hawaiian after attempting to kidnap the Hawaiian chief Kalaniʻōpuʻu. "I Killed Captain Cook" is told from the perspective of the Hawaiian who ended Cook's life, a subject his mother recalled with great pride.
"I Killed Captain Cook" is billed as the lead single from a forthcoming UMO double album. Hear it below, where you can also find Unknown Mortal Orchestra's tour dates.
TOUR DATES:
03/20 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Spokane
03/22 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
03/25 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
03/27 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/28 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
03/31 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
04/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
04/02 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
04/04 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/05 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/06 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
04/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/08 - Chicago, IL @ Radius
04/10 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
04/11 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/13 - New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/14 - New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
04/18 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
04/22 - Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
05/30 - Bexhill, UK @ De La Warr Pavilion
05/31 - London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
06/15 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
06/16 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus
06/17 - Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Galvanizers
