By Azzam Bilal 
HangupsMusic.com – OAKLAND, California, the boundary-pushing art-pop project Tune-Yards has officially announced a new string of live performances across the United States this fall. Dubbed "The Ones That Love You" tour, the trek marks a significant return to the road for the Oakland-based duo, comprised of founding member Merrill Garbus and long-time collaborator Nate Brenner. The tour is set to kick off on November 5 in Chicago, Illinois, at the Outset, signaling a fresh chapter for a band that has spent the last several years balancing high-concept studio albums with high-profile film scoring projects.
The announcement comes on the heels of a particularly prolific period for the group. In early 2025, Tune-Yards released their sixth full-length studio effort, Better Dreaming, an album that critics have praised for its intricate layering of polyrhythms, ukelele-driven melodies, and Garbus’s signature vocal gymnastics. The new tour is expected to be a celebration of this latest material while also revisiting the experimental catalogs that have made the band a staple of the indie-pop world for over fifteen years. Fans can expect a setlist that bridges the gap between their DIY, loop-pedal beginnings and the more polished, bass-heavy grooves that have defined their recent output.
Joining Tune-Yards on all dates of the tour is the Sacramento-born duo Rituals of Mine. Formerly known as Sister Crayon, the project led by Terra Lopez has garnered a dedicated following for its dark, atmospheric blend of electronic pop and trip-hop influences. The pairing is a natural fit; both acts share a penchant for emotive vocal performances and a willingness to subvert traditional pop structures. Rituals of Mine’s inclusion adds a layer of moody, synth-driven intensity to the bill, providing a compelling contrast to the often kinetic and brightly colored sonic palette of a Tune-Yards headlining set.
The tour routing focuses heavily on the Midwest and the Northeast, hitting a variety of intimate clubs and theaters that are well-suited to the band’s immersive live sound. After the opening night in Chicago, the tour moves through the heart of the country with stops at the Whirling Tiger in Louisville and the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati. From there, the band heads to Michigan for a night at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids before swinging through Cleveland’s legendary Beachland Ballroom. The latter half of the tour sees the duo traversing New York and New England, including a stop at the Homer Center for the Arts and a much-anticipated performance at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston.
Beyond their work as a touring unit, Tune-Yards has increasingly become a go-to creative force for filmmaker Boots Riley. Earlier this year, the duo composed and released the original score for Riley’s latest cinematic venture, I Love Boosters. The film, described as an offbeat comedy-crime caper, allowed Garbus and Brenner to flex their improvisational muscles, creating a soundscape that mirrors the frantic and surreal energy of Riley’s storytelling. This collaboration serves as a spiritual successor to their work on Riley’s 2018 directorial debut, Sorry to Bother You, which featured a critically acclaimed score that integrated seamlessly with the film’s anti-capitalist themes and vibrant visual style.
The evolution of Tune-Yards from a solo bedroom project into a multi-faceted production powerhouse is one of the more compelling narratives in modern independent music. When Merrill Garbus first emerged with BiRd-PrObLeMs in 2009, the music was defined by its lo-fi grit and the sheer novelty of seeing a performer build complex tracks in real-time using a digital loop station. Over the years, with the permanent addition of Nate Brenner on bass, the project has grown in scope and technical sophistication. Brenner’s influence brought a deeper understanding of jazz theory and funk-inspired low-end, which transformed Tune-Yards into a formidable live band capable of massive, danceable grooves.
The "The Ones That Love You" tour title itself suggests a sense of community and connection, perhaps a nod to the long-standing relationship the band has maintained with its audience. In an era where live performances are increasingly reliant on backing tracks and pre-recorded elements, Tune-Yards remains a notable exception. Their shows are often a display of musical athleticism, with Garbus juggling percussion, vocals, and live looping while Brenner provides the rhythmic anchor. This tactile, "human" element of their performance has always been at the core of their appeal, making every show feel like a unique, unrepeatable event.
The 2025 album Better Dreaming served as a pivot point for the band, moving away from the more overtly political messaging of 2018’s I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life and 2021’s sketchy. toward a more internal, reflective space. While the social consciousness that defines Garbus’s writing is still present, the new record explores themes of rest, subconscious thought, and the necessity of imagination in a digital age. The upcoming tour will likely be the first opportunity for many fans to hear these tracks performed with the full energy of a live crowd, adding a new dimension to the album’s dreamlike textures.
The partnership with Rituals of Mine is also a point of excitement for the upcoming run. Terra Lopez has long been an advocate for marginalized voices in the music industry, and her work with Rituals of Mine often touches on themes of grief, resilience, and self-preservation. Having two acts on the bill that prioritize both sonic innovation and emotional honesty ensures that the "The Ones That Love You" tour will be more than just a standard concert series; it is a showcase of West Coast experimentalism at its finest.
For those following the band’s filmography work, the I Love Boosters score represents some of their most adventurous composition to date. While the tour is not strictly focused on the film’s music—a point clarified in recent press updates—the influence of cinematic scoring is bound to bleed into the live arrangements. The ability to create mood and tension, a skill honed through their work with Boots Riley, has undoubtedly informed how Garbus and Brenner approach the dynamics of their headlining sets.
As the November 5 kickoff approaches, anticipation is building for what many expect to be one of the most creatively vibrant tours of the autumn season. From the small-town charm of Homer, New York, to the bustling music scene of Chicago, Tune-Yards is poised to bring their singular vision of pop music to a wide array of audiences. The tour represents a homecoming of sorts for a band that has never been content to stay in one place artistically, constantly pushing the boundaries of what a "pop duo" can be.
The full itinerary for "The Ones That Love You" tour is as follows:
11-05 – Chicago, IL – Outset
11-07 – Louisville, KY – Whirling Tiger
11-08 – Cincinnati, OH – Woodward Theater
11-10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
11-11 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
11-14 – Homer, NY – Homer Center for the Arts
11-15 – Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace
11-16 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
11-18 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Tickets for all dates are currently available through the band’s official website and local venue box offices. Given the intimate nature of several of the chosen venues, early booking is highly recommended for those looking to experience the polyrhythmic world of Tune-Yards up close. As the band prepares to hit the road, they continue to prove that even after six albums and multiple film scores, their capacity for surprise and sonic invention remains entirely undiminished. Whether through the lens of a Boots Riley film or the grooves of Better Dreaming, Tune-Yards remains an essential voice in the landscape of contemporary music.
