Thundercat Shares First Singles Since 2020, Taps Remi Wolf for “Children of the Baked Potato”

Thundercat, photo by Eddie Alcazar

Thundercat has returned with two new singles, “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” and “Children of the Baked Potato.” The singer-songwriter and pathbreaking bassist’s latest offerings, out now via Brainfeeder, arrive as his first original solo recordings since 2020’s It Is What It Is. 

Both of Thundercat’s new tracks were created with guidance from Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin, whose support helped to strike a balance between rich layering and a sense of intimacy. Thundercat’s basslines are sparing and rubbery beneath “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time,” a soft, enchanting poolside funk meditation featuring the sort of scattered introspection that’s long been a strength of his songwriting. “Children of the Baked Potato,” on the other hand, is a frenetic, uptempo, polyrhythmic bounce, named for the venue vital to LA’s jazz scene for over 50 years. Remi Wolf, Thundercat’s leftfield funk-pop peer and fellow alumnus of the storied stage, provides explosive guest vocals.

“[Remi Wolf is] a child of the Baked Potato, like me,” Thundercat said in a statement. “She knew exactly what the song needed. And it was wild to watch her make it happen. The more I listen to the song, it’s clear there was no one better I could have picked.”

On Oct. 15, Thundercat will launch a North American fall tour with a show at Atlanta’s Coca Cola Roxy. After taking the stage at Miami’s III Points Festival on Oct. 17, he’ll move to the Northeast for an engagement at Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Brooklyn Paramount on Oct. 25, then dart between stands in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Chicago and Denver through Nov. 11. He’ll be supported on all his North American dates by R&B singer-songwriter Fousheé.

Though he keeps a packed live calendar with festival bookings and international runs, Thundercat’s upcoming outing will be his first North American tour in two years. In the five years since his last full-length studio release, high-profile collaborations with Kamasi Washington, Justice, Vic Mensa, Channel Tres, Tame Impala, Kitty Ca$h and more in the years since has kept demand for his singular brand of oddball funk and progressive R&B fusion high.

“I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” and “Children of the Baked Potato” are available on all streaming platforms now. Find more information on Thundercat and his live itinerary at theamazingthundercat.com.