{"id":42173,"date":"2025-04-28T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42173"},"modified":"2025-04-20T20:43:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T00:43:24","slug":"the-new-pornographers-unveil-ballad-of-the-last-payphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42173","title":{"rendered":"The New Pornographers unveil \u2018Ballad of the Last Payphone\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The New Pornographers surprised vinyl enthusiasts everywhere by dropping a limited\u2011edition 7\u2033\u2014their first full\u2011band recording since 2023\u2014through A.C. Newman\u2019s Substack, <em>Ballad of a New Pornographer<\/em>. The A\u2011side, <em>Ballad of the Last Payphone<\/em>, and its flip, <em>Ego Death for Beginners<\/em>, have been turning heads (and turntables) from coast to coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A lyric video to lose yourself in <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re back with a dreamy new lyric video for <em>Ballad of the Last Payphone<\/em>, brought to life by animator Michael Arthur. Whether you\u2019re glued to the screen or spinning the vinyl at home, let yourself drift through the haunting scenes and evocative lyrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch it below<br>Listen right now \u2192 <a href=\"#\">Stream the track<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FUoqZnUZE84?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-CA&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the big idea?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On paper, it\u2019s just an old payphone\u2014the very last one in New York City, now resting at the Museum of the City of New York. But in The New Pornographers\u2019 hands, that relic becomes a vessel for nostalgia, melancholy and wonder. A.C. Newman explains:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<em>This song was inspired by Raymond Carver\u2019s story \u2018Fat.\u2019 It\u2019s about someone standing in front of that museum\u2011displayed payphone, utterly captivated. Why? That\u2019s for you to decide\u2014but to me, it feels painfully obvious.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Snag the vinyl<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If holding music in your hands still gives you chills, the hand\u2011numbered 7\u2033 is waiting for Vinyl Club subscribers on Newman\u2019s Substack. Flip it over and you\u2019ll find <em>Ego Death for Beginners<\/em>\u2014a B\u2011side you won\u2019t hear anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who made the magic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Written &amp; produced<\/strong> by A.C. Newman<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mixed<\/strong> by Colin Stewart<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mastered<\/strong> by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service, Chicago, IL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The New Pornographers<\/strong><br>A.C. Newman (vocals, guitar, bass, keys) \u00b7 John Collins (bass, guitar, keys) \u00b7 Joe Seiders (drums, keys, vocals) \u00b7 Kathryn Calder (keys, vocals) \u00b7 Neko Case (vocals) \u00b7 Todd Fancey (guitar)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Merchandise, tour dates &amp; more<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Live dates<\/strong> \u2192 <a href=\"http:\/\/thenewpornographers.com\/#tour\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">thenewpornographers.com\/#tour<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exclusive merch<\/strong> \u2192 <a href=\"http:\/\/found.ee\/TNPStorehome\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">TNP store<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Subscribe<\/strong> \u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/found.ee\/TNP-YTSubscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">A.C. Newman\u2019s Substack<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay in the loop and join the conversation:<br>Website \u00b7 Facebook \u00b7 Instagram \u00b7 Threads \u00b7 Twitter \u00b7 TikTok<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a spin through <em>Ballad of the Last Payphone<\/em> and rediscover the poetry in something forgotten. Spin it loud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The New Pornographers surprised vinyl enthusiasts everywhere by dropping a limited\u2011edition 7\u2033\u2014their first full\u2011band recording since 2023\u2014through A.C. Newman\u2019s Substack, Ballad of a New Pornographer. <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=42173\" title=\"The New Pornographers unveil \u2018Ballad of the Last Payphone\u2019\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[22,23,28,30,1907,39],"tags":[12497,11038],"class_list":["post-42173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","category-vinyl","tag-ballad-of-the-last-payphone","tag-the-new-pornographers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_4399.jpeg?fit=900%2C675&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-aYd","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44313,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44313","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":0},"title":"The New Pornographers return with shimmering new single \u2018Pure Sticker Shock\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"February 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The New Pornographers are back, and they\u2019re looking inward\u2014without losing an ounce of their melodic punch. The beloved indie-pop supergroup shared Pure Sticker Shock,\u00a0the latest single from their forthcoming album\u00a0\u2018The Former Site Of,\u2019 out\u00a0March 27 via Merge Records. Built on glossy synth-pop textures and buoyant hooks, Pure Sticker Shock masks\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The New Pornographers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7035.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7035.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7035.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_7035.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8570,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=8570","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":1},"title":"High Ends reveal &#8216;Cappuccino&#8217; from debut album","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"September 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The new solo project\u00a0High Ends\u00a0from Yukon Blonde frontman Jeffrey Innes is releasing his debut album titled 'Super Class,'\u00a0which will be out on\u00a0October 7 via Dine Alone Records. \u00a0'Super Class' is\u00a0available now for\u00a0pre-order\u00a0of the\u00a0hot pink vinyl and digitally. Cappuccino, lifted from the album, pays homage to a local barista who introduced\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"High Ends press","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/High-Ends-press.jpg?fit=576%2C382&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/High-Ends-press.jpg?fit=576%2C382&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/High-Ends-press.jpg?fit=576%2C382&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38712,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=38712","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":2},"title":"The New Pornographers share \u2018Pontius Pilate&#8217;s Home Movies\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"March 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The New Pornographers\u00a0have shared their new track Pontius Pilate\u2019s Home Movies in anticipation of their forthcoming album\u00a0\u2018Continue as a Guest\u2019. This will be their first for\u00a0Merge Records,\u00a0due\u00a0March 31. Stream Pontius Pilate\u2019s Home Movies\u00a0via YouTube below. https:\/\/youtu.be\/kekUoia4bRg \u201cLyrically, it is very much a stream-of-consciousness story about the disease of social media\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"The New Pornographers press photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/A72F0663-6322-42BE-AD9C-839C5513E4F8.jpeg?fit=900%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37526,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=37526","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":3},"title":"Anonymous trio Nrvs release psych ballad \u2018Breeders\u2019","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Following on from their previous single\u00a0I Like You, mysterious London-based outfit\u00a0Nrvs\u00a0return with the industrial psych ballad\u00a0Breeders\u00a0\u2013 a continuation of their explorations into social dislocation, ecological collapse & the dystopia of the ordinary. Emerging out of time & space,\u00a0Breeders\u00a0slowly unfolds with a sense of unease conjured up by its sparse ethereal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;guitar rock&quot;","block_context":{"text":"guitar rock","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=22"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FBAF09DC-D218-426A-94CF-6D0E6B4418F4.jpeg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1283,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=1283","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":4},"title":"Telekinesis release new video for &#8216;Country Lane&#8217;","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"November 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Telekinesis have released their new video for the ultra-catchy track, Country Lane taken from their latest album '12 Desperate Straight Lines'. Watch the video below. The band are wrapping up their year of touring in support of '12 Desperate Straight Lines,' which included dates with the Love Language, Portugal. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Telekinesis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/11\/telekenesis_high_res-9533_hi_hi.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8259,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=8259","url_meta":{"origin":42173,"position":5},"title":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart announces fall tour dates","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"June 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are heading out on the road\u00a0with\u00a0The New Pornographers this fall for a full North American tour (full listing is below). It kicks off\u00a0with a two-night run at Seattle's Showbox and wraps up\u00a0at Cat's Cradle in NC. Tour\u00a0dates: 10-05\u00a0& 06 Seattle, WA @ The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;indie&quot;","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Pains of Being Pure at Heart promo picture","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Pains.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42173"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42175,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173\/revisions\/42175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}