Unknown Mortal Orchestra drop instrumental track ‘SB-09’

Credit: NRK P3

Unknown Mortal Orchestra share ‘I Killed Captain Cook’ and announce 2023 tour

Wed 26 October 2022 10:30, UK

Unknown Mortal Orchestra have released the first track from their forthcoming double album. The song is entitled ‘I Killed Captain Cook’. The band have also announced that they will be heading out on tour throughout 2023.

The new track is an acoustic tune told from the viewpoint of the Hawaiian killer who put an end to the life of exploring coloniser Captain James Cook. Cook had tried to kidnap a Hawaiian chief back in 1779. Ruban Nielson explained that his mother would tell him the story when he was a young lad.

Sharing the song online, Nielson said, “I wrote this song for my mother, who is a legendary hula dancer and native Hawaiian. I made the video with my super 8 camera; my mum, my daughter, and I went to the beach at Keaukaha in Hilo, Hawaii, where mum interpreted the song in her language of hula. After some light warm rain, I ran my camera and captured this moment.”

The press release for the single states the song will feature on a hitherto untitled double album that will find release at some point next year. The track is the band’s first since they released the non-album singles ‘That Life’ and ‘Weekend Run’ last year.