Car Seat Headrest is back. The Will Toledo-led indie rock outfit has officially announced a new album called The Scholars, which is set for release on May 2nd via Matador records. Additionally, the band unveiled a string of new 2025 United States tour dates and a music video for the lead single “Gethsemane.”
The Scholars is the first full-length effort from Car Seat Headrest since 2020’s Making a Door Less Open. A concept record set at the fictional college campus of Parnassus University, the new album follows the protagonist Rosa as she navigates the surreal happenings of PU. Pre-orders for the album are ongoing.
“After an experience bringing a medically deceased patient back to life, she begins to regain powers suppressed since childhood of healing others by absorbing their pain,” the band explained in a statement. “Each night, instead of dreams, she encounters the raw pain and stories of the souls she touches throughout the day. Reality blurs, and she finds herself taken deep into secret facilities buried beneath the medical school, where ancient beings that covertly reign over the college bring forth their dark plans.”
“Gethsemane,” the first single from The Scholars, is a multi-part epic that stands at 11-minutes in length. Dynamic and propulsive, the tune comes along with a black and white music video that matches the song’s sprawling nature. Watch the music video for “Gethsemane” below.
Come the release of The Scholars, Car Seat Headrest will embark on a U.S. headlining tour. After making appearances at Kilby Block Party and Governors Ball respectively, the run will kick off on June 28th in Washington D.C. From there, the band will play cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and more. See the full list of Car Seat Headrest’s upcoming concerts below.
Tickets for Car Seat Headrest’s 2025 tour will first go on sale via an artist pre-sale on Wednesday, March 5th at 10:00 a.m. local time. The public on-sale will then follow on Friday, March 7th, also at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.
Though it’s been about five years since Car Seat Headrest last released a new album, the band hasn’t been completely silent. In 2023, they released the live album Faces from the Masquerade, and that same year the band covered Death Cab for Cutie’s “We Looked Like Giants.” Revisit our review of Car Seat Headrest’s Making a Door Less Open.
The Scholars Artwork:
The Scholars Tracklist:
01. CCF (I’m Gonna Stay With You)
02. Devereaux
03. Lady Gay Approximately
04. The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)
05. Equals
06. Gethsemane
07. Reality
08. Planet Desperation
09. True/False Lover
Car Seat Headrest 2025 Tour Dates:
05/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
06/07 – New York, NY @ Governors Ball
06/28 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
07/12 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
07/26 – Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (Fairgrounds)
08/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek
09/12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Highmark Skyline at the Mann Center
09/27 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
11/01 – Oakland, CA @ The Fox
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