David Byrne

In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close David Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute. During the tumultuous three prior years, Byrne, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, “Do I like what I'm doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?" His attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, a first-time collaboration between himself, Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon aka Tom Hull (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus) and New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, and featuring guest appearances by Paramore’s Hayley Williams, longtime collaborator St. Vincent (“she lives just around the corner from the studio,” Byrne says) and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it’s always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne’s gift for riding the razor's edge of avant-garde and accessible pop.