Cut of the Day: Case/Lang/Veirs, "Atomic Number"

It's the alt-folk supergroup Willamette Week (kinda, sorta) made happen!

The phrase "supergroup" gets tossed around with all too much frequency these days. What once signified the coming together of three or more towering musical forces now just means "a couple people from other bands you may have heard of before." In the case of this particular union, though, the term is unavoidable. Whenever you get K.D. Lang, Neko Case and Laura Veirs all harmonizing on the same album, what else can you call it?

The Case/Lang/Veirs trio started in secret about two and a half years ago, when Lang—who moved to Portland in 2012—sent an email to Case and local indie-folk favorite Veirs reading simply, "I think we should make a record together." We at Willamette Week can't help but feel at least partially responsible for making this happen, though: Way back in 2012, we coordinated the first-ever meeting between Lang and Case, who discussed their mutual admiration for one another, among other things.

The trio's upcoming 14-track self-titled debut was produced by Tucker Martine and recorded in Portland, with sessions conducted at Lang's and Veirs' homes. The album comes out June 16 on Anti-, and the teaser track, "Atomic Number," is pretty much exactly what you'd expect from three of the biggest and best voices in the folk and alt-country world—namely, light, ethereal instrumentation, highlighted by next-level harmonizing.

Case/Lang/Veirs is also going on the road this summer. They play the Oregon Zoo on July 2.

Willamette Week

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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