PRESS PHOTOS CREDIT ROBIN GLASS
WITH A LIGHTNING STRIKE TOUR BEGINS OCTOBER 14 WITH STOPS IN BROOKLYN ON OCTOBER 17 AND LA ON NOVEMBER 7
LIMITED VINYL PRESENTED BY RECORD STORE DAY X ATLANTIC RECORDS NEW ARTIST SERIES AVAILABLE IN SELECT RECORD STORES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
EXCLUSIVE IN-STORE APPEARANCES BEGIN TODAY AT BULL MOOSE
IN STOKES’ HOME TOWN OF PORTLAND, ME
Acclaimed alt-pop singer-songwriter-pianist Genevieve Stokes has unveiled her eagerly awaited debut album, With A Lightning Strike, available now via Atlantic Records. Currently boasting over 1.3M monthly listeners on Spotify, Stokes recently shared a TikTok sound of With A Lightning Strike standout, “Mean Guy,” which has quickly proven a fan favorite with over 6.3M views. Watch the official visual for the song, also out now.
“After over a year of writing songs in my parents garage and recording out of airbnbs with my dear friends, this album is finally yours,” shares Stokes. “‘With a Lightning Strike’ represents so many experiences and phases of my life, and it’s almost painfully personal at times. For the first time in my career, my sound and vision is entirely clear and true to me.”
Co-produced by longtime collaborator Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Paul McCartney), With A Lightning Strike is a darker take on Genevieve’s search for childhood whimsy than her previous releases, with the Portland, Maine native returning to her hometown to capture the vibrancy she had been seeking. When she wasn’t in LA with Berg, Stokes worked on much of the album with her friends on the East Coast, like drummer Fiona Stocks-Lyons and her music director Pete Cafarella, who played synth and bass on the album.
With A Lightning Strike was first heralded this summer with the euphoric “Dreamer“. Named by Rolling Stone to its weekly “Songs You Need to Know” playlist and hailed by PAPER as one of “10 Songs You Need To Hear Now” as “ambling, ‘70s-inflected pop from Genevieve Stokes, whose earthy voice perfect suits this kind of production,” the track is paired with an idyllic visual capturing the feeling of summer ending with family and friends in Stokes’ deeply treasured Maine. Further highlights include “Desert Eagle,” “Amusing,” and the album’s contemplative keystone, “God, the latter described by Stokes as the “hangover of emotions when you accept the meaninglessness of life.” All three tracks are joined by official visualizers streaming now at YouTube.
Stokes – who has supported artists including Noah Kahan, Briston Maroney, Sarah Kinsley, and Charlie Burg – will celebrate With A Lightning Strike on her biggest North American headline run to date. The With A Lightning Strike Tour gets underway October 14 at Washington, DC’s DC9 Nightclub and then travels through a November 7 finale at West Hollywood, CA’s historic Troubadour. Support throughout comes from Lily Kershaw. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.genevievestokes.com/tour.
Record Store Day and Atlantic Records are joining forces to present a limited vinyl edition of With A Lightning Strike as part of RSD x Atlantic’s New Artist Series, available exclusively at select independent record stores across North America. Stokes will visit a number of stores to meet fans and sign copies of the album, beginning today in her beloved home town at Portland, ME’s Bull Moose, set for 4:00 pm (local). Additional stops include Philadelphia, PA’s Repo Records (October 15 at 6:00 pm), Brooklyn, NY’s Legacy, Dumbo (October 16 at 5:00 pm), Chicago, IL’s Reckless Records (October 23 at 6:00 pm), and Portland, OR’s Music Millennium (October 30 at 6:00 pm).
ABOUT GENEVIEVE STOKES:
One of alternative pop’s brightest stars, named among PEOPLE‘s “Emerging Artists” to watch list, Genevieve Stokes first taught herself piano at the age of eight. Spending her teen years developing her own unique sound, she was inspired by iconic female musicians like Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor but infused her own repertoire with her deeply personal experience and perspective. Stokes initially drew attention and applause for her intimate yet lush approach to alternative pop, amassing over 7M streams all before releasing her debut EP, ascending esteemed playlists, and garnering support from Complex, EARMILK,Ones to Watch, and more.
Named by Alternative Press as a “New Artist You Need To Hear,” Stokes made a striking major label debut with her angsty yet nostalgic 2021 EP, Swimming Lessons, highlighted by the standout tracks, “Surface Tension,” “Parking Lot,” and “Running Away.” Recorded in a cabin just a stone’s throw from the 23-year-old artist’s childhood home, the critically acclaimed project went on to earn over 38M streams worldwide while receiving praise from publications including Flaunt, NYLON, Billboard, Refinery29, FLOOD, and more.
A dreamy exploration of what it means to heal and unlock your inner child, her most recent EP, Catching Rabbits, was heralded by the lead single “Habits,” which was co-produced by Tony Berg,featured in PAPER and Teen Vogue, and has gone on to amass nearly 105M global streams. Further EP highlights include the brooding “You & Me,” the self-soothing lullaby, “17,” and the emotionally charged “Can I.”
GENEVIEVE STOKES
WITH A LIGHTNING STRIKE
(Atlantic Records)
TRACKLIST:
1. Desert Eagle
2. With a Lightning Strike
3. Dreamer
4. I Can’t Leave
5. River
6. Life of a Woman
7. Old Friend
8. When Your Heart Opens
9. Lost Forever Now
10. Mean Guy
11. Amusing
12. God
13. How Things End
GENEVIEVE STOKES
WITH A LIGHTNING STRIKE TOUR 2024
OCTOBER
14 – Washington, DC – DC9 Nightclub
15 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
17 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
18 – Boston, MA – Red Room, Cafe 939, Berklee College of Music
19 – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music & Events
21 – Toronto, ON – Drake Underground
23 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
24 – Saint Paul, MN – Turf Club
26 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
28 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
31 – Portland, OR – Mission Theater
NOVEMBER
1 – Vancouver, BC – The Fox Cabaret Projection Room
2 – Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
5 – San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall
7 – West Hollywood, CA – Troubadour
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