March 1, 2016 For Immediate Release MITSKI ANNOUNCES PUBERTY 2, NEW ALBUM OUT JUNE 17TH ON DEAD OCEANS TOURING NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE LISTEN TO DEBUT SINGLE, “YOUR BEST AMERICAN GIRL” https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/mitski-your-best-american-girl-3/s-a0naO (photo credit: Ebru Yildiz) Ask Mitski Miyawaki about happiness and she'll warn you: “Happiness fucks you.” It's a lesson that's been present in her work for years, but never so powerfully as on Mitski’s newest album, Puberty 2. “Happiness is up, sadness is down, but one's almost more destructive than the other,” she says. “When you realize you can't have one without the other, it's possible to spend periods of happiness just waiting for that other wave.” On Puberty 2, that tension is palpable: a both beautiful and brutal romantic hinterland, in which a fierce new voice hits a brave new stride. The follow-up to 2014's Bury Me At Makeout Creek, Puberty 2 picks up where its predecessor left off. “It's kind of a two parter,” explains Mitski, “It's similar in sound, but a direct growth from that record.” Musically, there are subtle evolutions: electronic drum machines pulse throughout beneath Pixies-ish guitars, while saxophone lights up its opening track. “I had a certain confidence this time. I knew what I wanted, knew what I was doing and wasn't afraid to do things that some people may not like.” In terms of message though, the 25-year-old cuts the same defiant, feminist figure on Puberty 2 that has previously won her acclaim. Born in Japan, Mitski grew up surrounded by her father's Smithsonian folk recordings and mother's 1970s Japanese pop CDs in a family that moved frequently: she spent stints in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia, China and Turkey among other countries before coming to New York to study composition at SUNY Purchase. She reflects now on feeling “half Japanese, half American but not fully either” – a feeling she confronts on clever debut single, “Your Best American Girl” – a super-sized punk-rock number where she “hammed up the tropes” to deconstruct and poke fun at that genre's surplus of white males. “I wanted to use those white-American-guy stereotypes as a Japanese girl who can't fit in, who can never be an American girl,” she explains. Sadness is awful and happiness is exhausting in the world of Mitski. The effect of Puberty 2, however, is a stark opposite: invigorating, inspiring and beautiful. Puberty 2 is out June 17th on Dead Oceans, and available for pre-order now. All iTunes pre- orders come with an instant grat download of “Your Best American Girl.” Mitski and band will play SXSW and tour all over in the months to come. The live band will be a three-piece: Mitski (bass/vocals), Callan Dwan (guitar) and Casey Weissbuch (drums). Dates are below. Listen to Mitski’s “Your Best American Girl” – https://soundcloud.com/deadoceans/mitski-your-best-american-girl-3/s-a0naO Puberty 2 Tracklisting: 1. Happy 2. Dan the Dancer 3. Once More To See You 4. Fireworks 5. Your Best American Girl 6. I Bet on Losing Dogs 7. My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars 8. Thursday Girl 9. A Loving Feeling 10. Crack Baby 11. A Burning Hill Mitski Tour Dates: Sat. March 12 – McAllen, TX @ Galax Z Fair V at Yerberia Wed. March 16 – Austin, TX @ Hype Hotel – YVYNYL x S&S x Hype Machine -- 3pm Thu. March 17 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda – Secretly Group & Friends– 10pm Fri. March 18 – Austin, TX @ PEN – Portals SXSW 2016 – 6:30pm -- solo show Fri. March 18 – Austin, TX @ Hole in the Wall – Stereogum x Exploding In Sound's Austin Invasion 2 – 9:30pm Sat. March 19 – Austin, TX @ Studium – She Shreds x Punctum Records Presents – 5:30pm *** more SXSW performances to be announced *** Sun. April 17 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique – solo show Tues. April 19 – London, UK @ Birthdays – solo show Thu. April 21 – Paris, FR @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire w/ Twin Peaks) – solo show Sat. April 23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Basement – solo show Mon. June 20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom Wed. June 22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Thu. June 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle Fri. June 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA Sat. June 25 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel Sun. June 26 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook Tue. June 28 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade: Purgatory Wed. June 29 – Birmingham, AL @ The Syndicate Lounge Fri. July 1 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s Downtown Sat. July 2 – Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder Sun. July 3 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links Tue. July 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge Wed. July 6 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room Thu. July 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo Fri. July 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill Sat. July 9 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Mon. July 11 – Portland, OR @ Analog Theater Tue. July 12 – Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt Wed. July 13 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Fri. July 15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court Sat. July 16 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Tue. July 19 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry Wed. July 20 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall Fri. July 22 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern Sat. July 23 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz Pre-order Puberty 2: via Dead Oceans: http://smarturl.it/mitski via iTunes: http://smarturl.it/mitski_it via Amazon: http://smarturl.it/mitski_amz Support your local independent record store: http://smarturl.it/mitski_ind Download hi-res jpegs of Mitski - http://deadoceans.com/press/mitski/ (Puberty 2 album art) Mitski online: mitski.com/ facebook.com/MitskiLeaks/ twitter.com/mitskileaks deadoceans.com/press/bleached/ saltymgmt.com/ pitchperfectpr.com/mitski/ For more information, contact: Jessica Linker | Pitch Perfect PR – [email protected], 773-271-6844 .