Giant Sand Breaking Up, Announce Box Set and Tour

After 30 years, Howe Gelb‘s band Giant Sand are calling it quits. “30 years seems an adequate number to aptly utter ‘I kinda quit,’” Gelb wrote in a press release. Before the curtain falls, however, they’ll embark on a tour and release a retrospective box set.

Fire Records will release the three-LP vinyl box set, The Sun Set, later this year. It’s an alphabetical—rather than chronological—collection of their material. Find a sampler of The Sun Set below as well as the band’s final tour itinerary.

Giant Sand’s most recent album was last year’s Heartbreak Pass.

Here’s Gelb’s statement in full:

30 years of giant sand

way back when it seemed like a long spans. but no. just a blink of the eye.

the flutter of the lid seems like it’s in a slow-motion wow, but any motion is in fast-forward compared to still life.

albums live on a shelf like a still life collection collecting decades and dust.

what do we have here, collectively speaking ? musings set to motion. here in rewind and some in fast forward.

we know there’s no comfortable category to place it all. perhaps because there is no categorical comfort.

the forefathers of this output have been set in rock: david bowie, john lennon, jimi hendrix, bob dylan and neil young.

the forefathers set in ivory are probably responsible for what’s coming next.

but as far as rock erosion is concerned, with this collection of mega dust, this giant sand, it’s high time to call it a day.

30 years seems an adequate number to aptly utter “I kinda quit”. there’s plenty enough here. more than imaginable.

i’m very eager to see what the next blink will bring. piano for now. songs forever.

so here’s to the next 30 years of plunk rock. a circle of fifths in black and white blur. getting on a plane with no guitar bag slung. maybe a hat. .. bolo tie too.

thank you so very much for your participation in all of this. I will never thank you enough because I can’t.

we are a fabric. a stitch in time. sonic threads woven by our space age muses.

Giant Sand:

04-06 Ljubljana, Slovenia – Kino Siska ^
04-07 St.Pölten, Austria – Cinema Paradiso ^
04-08 Geislingen, Germany – Rätschenmühle ^
04-09 Brussels, Belgium –  Le Botanique *
04-10 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso-Noord Tolhuistuin *
04-11 London, England – Village Underground *
04-12 Gateshead, England – Sage Gateshead *
04-13 Dublin, Ireland – Whelanslive *
04-14 Cork, Ireland – Cyprus Avenue *
04-15 Galway, Ireland – Roisin Dubh *
04-17 Brighton, England – All Saints Hove *
04-18 Bristol, England – The Lantern / Colston Hall *
04-19 Paris, France – Le Trabendo *

^ Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan
* with Jason Lytle

Here’s the video for “Transponder” off Heartbreak Pass:

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