Liz Harris, who records as Grouper, has reformed her shoegaze band Helen with bassist Scott Simmons and drummer Jed Bindeman, Pitchfork reported on August 4. The trio's new album, Linda's Head, arrives October 2 on Kranky, eleven years after their only studio album, 2015's The Original Faces. Two songs from the record, the title track and Dead Shark II, were shared alongside the announcement.
Helen is the rock-facing side project Harris formed with Simmons and Bindeman, distinct from the drone-heavy solo records she makes as Grouper. The Original Faces leaned into the project's dream pop sound, and The Quietus writes that Linda's Head, a ten-track record, continues in that vein.
The reunion follows Harris's most recent Grouper album, 2021's Shade. She returns to the road this September for a short solo tour, playing six shows across the US and Canada, with dates in Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Kingston, New York.
Linda's Head continues Helen's dream pop take on indie rock and is due October 2 via the release calendar. Neither Pitchfork nor The Quietus reported any tour plans for Helen itself.
The facts
- Helen is a trio of Liz Harris, Scott Simmons and Jed Bindeman
- The album Linda's Head arrives October 2 on Kranky
- It is the trio's first album since 2015's The Original Faces
- Grouper is the recording name of Liz Harris
- Two songs, the title track and Dead Shark II, were shared with the news
- Harris's last Grouper album was 2021's Shade
- Harris plays six solo shows in the US and Canada this September
- Linda's Head has ten tracks
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