The New Pornographers have decided to release their 2025 song “Ballad of the Last Payphone” online.
They paired it with “Ego Death for Beginners,” and these tunes are their first since 2023. The band has also put out a cool cartoon video made by Michael Arthur for the song. A.C. Newman, from the band, mentioned that the tune is a tribute to NYC’s last payphone, inspired by Raymond Carver’s tale ‘Fat.’ He said, “This song was inspired by a Raymond Carver story called ‘Fat,’ and tells the story of a person visiting the last payphone in NYC where it currently sits, in the Museum of the City of New York. The narrator doesn’t know why they are so fascinated by it, but to us it should be obvious. Obvious to me, at least.” This might make you think about things we often overlook.
Fans sometimes find hidden meanings in songs that artists never intended.
If you’re into collecting stuff, there are still some hand-numbered copies left of this vinyl single! You can grab one if you’re part of Newman’s Substack Vinyl Club tier.
Back in 2023, The New Pornographers came out with an album called Continue as a Guest.
