Margaret Glaspy’s latest album is a contemplative work that connects with listeners via affecting images and ideas. Produced by Joe Henry, I Am Both showcases Glaspy’s gift for presenting spare yet powerful tales through her nuanced songwriting. This music also translates to the live setting where she will embark on an extended North American and European tour that opens on Friday.

In conjunction with these dates, Glaspy has just released a video for one of I Am Both’s most moving tracks, “Martin Luther King Jr.” The song effectively draws on King’s perspective while addressing contemporary societal challenges on a personal level. Glaspy tells Relix, “Martin Luther King Jr. is my hero. This song was written because I wanted an excuse to echo his words. I have long listened to his speeches the way that I might listen to records. This was written in celebration of his dedication to love and unity.” Today we premiering the video, which was directed by Ricky Chavez.

As for the album as a whole, Glaspy reflects, “When I started writing for this record I had a goal of getting my practice back—to walk the walk in terms of how I envision myself as a songwriter. At first it was really hard to break that addiction to social media, but after a while something shifted. It felt like I’d gotten back to original thought instead of being under the influence of so many outside opinions. It was life-changing.”

Glaspy recorded I Am Both with Henry at New York City’s Reservoir Studios. The tracks were captured live with drummer/percussionist Jay Bellerose (Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss), keyboard player Patrick Warren (Tracy Chapman, Tom Waits), and bassist Ross Gallagher (Paula Cole). As she notes, “I always think of myself as more of a photographer than a sculptor in the studio—it’s about capturing the moment rather than layering and building things up over time, and Joe has a similar mentality when it comes to recording. There was an incredible chemistry with the band and the whole process felt electric, so a lot of what you hear on the album is the first take.”

Margaret Glaspy’s upcoming tour dates appear beneath the video.

Margaret Glaspy tour dates
9/11 — Fine Line — Minneapolis, MN
9/12 — Vivarium — Milwaukee, WI
9/13 — Evanston Folk Fest — Evanston, IL
9/14 — The Ark — Ann Arbor, MI
9/16 — Mod Club — Toronto, ON
9/17 — Beachland Ballroom — Cleveland, OH
9/18 — The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls — Pittsburgh, PA
9/20 — The Blue Room at Third Man Records — Nashville, TN
9/21 — Eddie’s Attic — Atlanta, GA
9/22 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC
9/24 — Iron Horse — Northampton, MA
9/25 — Brighton Music Hall — Boston, MA
9/26 — Music Hall of Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY
10/3 — Assembly — Kingston, NY
10/9 — Prachtwerk — Berlin, Germany
10/11 — TivoliVredenburg (Club Nine) — Utrecht, Netherlands
10/12 — Witloof Bar — Brussels, Belgium
10/14 — L’Archipel — Paris, France
10/16 — St Matthias Church — London, UK
10/17 — Halle St. Michael’s — Manchester, UK
10/18 — St. Luke’s — Glasgow, UK
10/20 — Lantern Hall — Bristol, UK
10/21 — Howard Assembly Room — Leeds, UK
10/22 — Kitchen Garden Cafe — Birmingham, UK
10/23 — Boia Festival @ Tabernacle — St Davids, UK
10/25 – Sligo, Ireland @ Knocknarea Arena w/ Rosanne Cash
10/26 — Cyprus Avenue — Cork, Ireland
10/27 — Upstairs at Dolan’s — Limerick, Ireland
10/28 — The Deer’s Head — Belfast, Ireland
11/4 — Off Broadway — St. Louis, MO
11/5 — Bottleneck — Lawrence, KS
11/6 – E-Town w/ Cactus Blossoms – Boulder, CO
11/7 — Ophelia’s — Denver, CO
11/8 — The Arts Campus At Willits — Basalt, CO
11/9 — Urban Lounge — Salt Lake City, UT
11/10 — Shrine Basement — Boise, ID
11/12 — Tractor Tavern — Seattle, WA
11/13 — Biltmore Cabaret — Vancouver, BC
11/14 — Mississippi Studios — Portland, OR
11/16 — The Chapel — San Francisco, CA
11/17 — Troubadour — Los Angeles, CA
11/18 – Musical Instrument Museum — Phoenix, AZ
11/20 — The 04 Center — Austin, TX
11/21 — The Kessler Theater — Dallas, TX
12/11 — The Atlantis — Washington, DC
12/12 — Sellersville Theater — Sellersville, PA