New Video: JOVM Mainstays Nation of Language Share Shimmering “Inept Apollo”

Acclaimed Brooklyn-based synth pop act and JOVM mainstays Nation of Language — Ian Richard Devaney (vocals, guitar), Aidan Noell (synths) and Alex MacKay (bass) — have managed to amass a rapidly growing and devout national and international fanbase as a result of a dance floor friendly sound that draws from New Wave, post-punk and shoegaze. The JOVM mainstays three albums, 2020’s Introduction, Presence, 2021’s A Way Forward and 2023’s Strange Disciple have received coverage from Billboard, The New York Times, Document Journal, BrooklynVegan, MOJO, NME, Pitchfork, Stereogum and more.

Adding to a rapidly rising profile, the band has performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and recently “Weak In Your Light” was featured in the series finale of the Netflix hit show You. They’ve also become a mainstay on the international festival circuit, playing sets at Austin City Limits, Desert Daze, Pitchfork Festival, Primavera Sound, Pukklepop, Corona Capital, Outside Lands, Bonnaroo, and a growing list of others.

The acclaimed outfit recently signed to Sub Pop Records, who will release their new music globally in 2025 and beyond. The Brooklyn trio’s Sub Pop debut “Inept Apollo” continues a run of nostalgia-inducing, 80s New Wave-inspired material while further cementing reputation for crafting slickly produced dance floor friendly numbers anchored around earnest lyricism and songwriting.

“Work is a respite from pain. Whether it’s a paying job or just the thing you pour yourself into, having a direction to move in, finding a flow state, it can move focus away from the heaviness of the heart. So after life’s losses, in moments of despair, we resolve time and time again to dive headfirst into the work as best we can,” Devaney says of the new single. “But the artistic process also tends to be when imposter syndrome rears its ugly head – when I find my inner monologue spiraling: ‘this is the best coping mechanism I have at my disposal and I’m not even qualified to be doing it.’

He continues, “Accompanying the song is a killer music video by our friend and brother John MacKay: it is an homage to creative pursuits, and in some ways came to represent the feeling of living in a city as an artist. The video feels like walking through an old warehouse in Brooklyn, full of practice spaces and studios, each room occupied by artists striving to express and understand themselves and their place in the world. No matter how bizarre the act may seem or how much self-doubt or pain runs through the mind of the creator, the beautiful thing is the striving and continuing on, rather than the final product or any notion of ‘success.’ The power of creation belongs to all of us; requires the approval of none.”

Along with the signing and new single announcements, the JOVM mainstay announced international headlining tour dates across North America this summer and fall, and late fall European Union and UK dates. The North American leg of the tour includes a three-night, hometown stand at Warsaw — September 18, 2025, September 19, 2025 and September 20, 2025.

The EU and UK tour dates will feature the band headlining some of their largest venues across the continent they’ve played to date. Support for the North American and UK/EU shows will come from Safe Mind (Aug. 21st-23rd), Deathwish Inc.’s Greet Death (Sep. 21st-Oct. 5th), Sub Pop labelmates Deeper (Oct.17th-30th), and Partisan Records act Westerman (Oct. 8th-13th + Nov. 8th-22nd).

North American fan presales (Pass: APOLLO) are live now, with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, May 16th at 10 am (local).  Also UK/EU presale tickets (Pass: APOLLO) are also live now, with tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, May 16th at 10 am (BST) / 11 am (CEST).

Nation of Language have a busy weekend ahead of them: They play Pasadena, CA’s Cruel World Festival on May 17, 2025 and the Kilby Block Party on May 18, 2025. They’ll also open for Death Cab For Cutie on that band’s Plans: 20th Anniversary Tour for four dates: Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on July 31, 2025 and August 2, 2025 and for two-sold out shows in Chicago’s Chicago Theatre, August 5, 2025 and August 6, 2025.

The full list of tour dates are below.

Spring & Summer 2025 Festival + Support Shows 
Sat. May 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Cruel World Fest
Sun. May 18 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Block Party
Thu. Jul. 31 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena **
Sat. Aug. 02 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena **
Tue. Aug. 05 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]
Wed. Aug. 06 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater ** [Sold Out]
 
August – October 2025 
North American Headline Shows
Thu. Aug. 21 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom !
Fri. Aug. 22 –  Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater !
Sat. Aug. 23 – Portland, ME – State Theatre !
Thu. Sep. 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
Fri. Sep. 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
Sat. Sep. 20 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
Sun. Sep. 21 – Boston, MA – Royale #
Tue. Sep. 23 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic #
Wed. Sep. 24 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall #
Fri. Sep. 26 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue #
Sat. Sep. 27 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom #
Mon. Sep. 29 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown #
Tue. Sep. 30 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman #
Thu. Oct. 02 – Denver, CO – The Gothic Theatre #
Sat. Oct. 04 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory #
Sun. Oct. 05 – Missoula, MT – Top Hat #
Wed. Oct. 08 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl ^
Sun. Oct. 11 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall ^
Mon. Oct. 13 – San Francisco. CA – The Fillmore ^
Fri. Oct. 17 – San Diego, CA – Music Box *
Tue. Oct. 21 – Austin, TX – Mohawk *
Wed. Oct. 22 – Dallas, TX – The Studio at The Bomb Factory *
Thu. Oct. 24 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall *
Sat. Oct. 25 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse *
Sun. Oct. 26 – Chapel Hill, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
Mon. Oct. 27 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry *
Wed. Oct. 29 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *
Thu. Oct. 30 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
 
November 2025
UK/EU Headlining Shows
Fri. Nov. 07 – Dublin, IE – Opium
Sat. Nov. 08 – Manchester, UK – O2 Ritz Manchester ^
Sun. Nov. 09 – Glasgow, UK – St. Luke’s ^
Tue. Nov. 11 – Cardiff, UK – Tramshed ^
Wed. Nov. 12 – London, UK – The Roundhouse ^
Fri. Nov. 14 – Paris, FR – Elysee Montmartre ^
Sat. Nov. 15 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg ^
Sun. Nov. 16 – Nijmegen, NL – Doornroosje ^
Tue. Nov. 18 – Cologne, DE – Gloria ^
Wed. Nov. 19 – Hamburg, DE – Uebel & Gefährlich ^
Fri. Nov. 21 – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle ^
Sat. Nov. 22 – Munich, DE – Technikum ^
Sun. Nov. 23 – Milan, IT – Magazzini Generali
Wed. Nov. 26 – Barcelona, ES – Razzmatazz
Thu. Nov. 27 – Madrid, ES – La Riviera
Fri. Nov. 28 – Lisbon, PT – LAV
 
** w/ Death Cab For Cutie
! w/ Safe Mind
# w/ Greet Death
* w/ Deeper
^ w/ Westermann