THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS RELEASE
“BALLAD OF THE LAST PAYPHONE”

April 2, 2025— Last month, The New Pornographers went analog, surprising fans with the vinyl-first release of their first full band tracks since 2023, “Ballad of the Last Payphone” and “Ego Death For Beginners” via A.C. Newman’s Substack, Ballad of a New Pornographer. With the limited 7-inch making its way onto turntables around the world, the band today shares a new lyric video for the A-side, “Ballad of the Last Payphone,” animated by Michael Arthur—listen to the track here and watch the lyric video here.

On “Ballad of the Last Payphone,” The New Pornographers gorgeously render fascination with an obsolete object — literally the last payphone in New York City — in tones that are at once melancholic and ethereal, finding something deeply human in something humans have chosen to discard.

A.C. Newman on “Ballad of the Last Payphone”:

“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.”

Limited quantities of the hand-numbered “Ballad of the Last Payphone” b/w “Ego Death For Beginners” 7-inch are available to Vinyl Club tier members of Newman’s Substack. The B-side, “Ego Death For Beginners,” is exclusive to the vinyl release.

Credits:
Written by A.C. Newman
Produced by A.C. Newman
Mixed by Colin Stewart
Mastered by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service,
Chicago, IL

The New Pornographers:
A.C. Newman - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
John Collins - bass, guitar, keyboards
Joe Seiders - drums, keyboards, vocals
Kathryn Calder - keyboards, vocals
Neko Case - vocals
Todd Fancey - guitar

Live Dates:
https://thenewpornographers.com/#tour
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Lyrics:
I had to see it with my very eyes
at the Museum of the City of New York
It had the offhand grace, you will find
in the last ones left alive

Well they took it from Times Square in May
Little fanfare or paid respect
Yeah, first comes love, then comes pity,
then it's terminal velocity

Nothing major, man,
It's just the last payphone

I had to see it with my very eyes,
For advice from the just left behind
Reverse the charges!
I tried, but it had no lightning inside

Did you get a good look at their face?
'cause often thieves have not gone very far
And they're not strangers, they rarely are
And they're not strangers...
they rarely are

Nothing major, man,
It's just the last payphone

Yeah, first comes love, then comes pity,
then it's terminal velocity

For more information, please contact Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.