Firm favourites here at AUK Towers, The Delines have brought us some excellent news this week on two fronts. Firstly, there’s the small matter of the vinyl re-release of “Scenic Sessions” and then some tour dates for September and new ones for next year. Originally issued as a Rough Trade and tour exclusive in 2015, the original 1000-unit pressing of the album sold out immediately after the band appeared at the End of the Road Festival that September. With copies of what swiftly became a fan’s favourite subsequently selling for over £150, Decor have decided to reissue the album as a 10th anniversary LP in a limited edition of 1500 on bottle green vinyl.
Discussing the genesis of the album, band co-founder Willy Vlautin explains: “In the early summer of 2015, The Delines were still a young band with only one album out (‘Colfax’, 2014). Amy Boone, who lived in Austin at the time, flew up to Portland for some summer shows and to cut a single for an autumn tour. We were thinking three songs at the most. The problem was that I kept bringing in new tunes, and our producer suddenly had time open up at his Scenic Burrows Studio. We decided to try something I’d never done before and record the songs as we were trying to figure them out. I brought in the best of the batch I was working on: ‘Cool Your Jets’, ‘Gold Dreaming’, ‘Sirens at Night’ and ‘I’m Just a Ghost’. We recorded them fast. We cut ‘Gold Dreaming’ in two takes, and I remember Amy singing ‘I’m Just a Ghost’ in one, and it just floored us all. Our single quickly turned into an EP.”
He continues, “Amy then brought in an acoustic demo of her tune, ‘I Wasn’t Looking’, so we recorded that. I’ve always been a big fan of Sparklehorse, so we tried ‘Sunshine’. Cory then brought in two instrumentals, ‘Saloon Six’ and ‘The Piano Player Always Drinks For Free’. Suddenly, we had a full record! The band always thinks of this time as The Delines at summer camp. We recorded it during a minor heat wave; it’s loose and a bit rawer than most of our other records, and there’s a no-pressure, easygoing feel to the session that really comes across. It’s a band favourite, too, because while recording it, I think we all knew we were becoming a real band.”
The band are heading to the UK and Ireland in the autumn coming, kicking things off in Dublin’s Whelans on September 23rd – tickets for all dates are available from this link.
The Delines UK and Ireland Dates 2025:
23.09.25 DUBLIN Whelan’s
24.09.25 CORK Cyprus Ave
25.09.25 WATERFORD Bank Lane
26.09.25 BELFAST Black Box
22.03.26 EDINBURGH La Belle Angele
23.03.26 LIVERPOOL Hangar 34
24.03.26 NOTTINGHAM Metronome
26.03.26 LONDON Union Chapel
27.03.26 BRIGHTON Old Market
28.03.26 CARDIFF The Gate
