Doug Gillard is excited to announce his new solo album Parallel Stride out April 24 on Dromedary Records. In anticipation of the album he has shared the album's lead single “Face Of Smiles” alongside its accompanying music video, edited by Jeff Economy and featuring Doug Gillard, Tom Beaujour, Dave Hill, and Ray Kubian.

On the song, Doug Gillard says:

"I was feeling a sense of melancholy when writing the lyrics. I imagined a conversation between two people, each of them having suffered a significant loss, and seeing such loss amplified and mirrored in the skies, as astronomy ties into their narrative."

On the video, Gillard adds:

“The video captures a typical day wherein I commute across NYC for a recording with engineer Tom Beaujour where I’m joined by Dave Hill on bass and Ray Kubian on drums. Tom also presents me with a  “Dan Smith Will Teach You Guitar” flyer in his studio, which for some reason I never saw when I recorded a lot of this album there The flyer is a long-running NYC legend, having been posted around the city for over 20 years.”

Doug Gillard’s formidable body of recordings is as impressive as it is voluminous, encompassing his work as a key member of such notable combos as Guided by Voices, Nada Surf, Death of Samantha, Cobra Verde, and Gem, as well as an array of noted collaborations with the likes of Richard Buckner, Neko Case, Bill Fox, and The Hold Steady. Parallel Stride is the Ohio-bred, New York-based singer/songwriter/multi- instrumentalist’s fourth official solo album.

Although he’s well established as a luminary of the American indie-rock community, Gillard’s musical sensibility is firmly rooted in the time-honored old-school virtues of catchy melodic craft, emotionally resonant lyrics and emotion-charged performances. Parallel Stride standouts “Face Of Smiles”, “Yes, She Loves Me” and “Lost Alarmists” effortlessly embody the magnetic melodicism and vivid wordplay that have been constants in his work. “Wire backing Paul McCartney”, the apt shorthand that’s been used to describe Gillard’s output, is especially on-point in regards to parts of Parallel Stride, and his second and third albums, Parade On and Call From Restricted.

Growing up in the rock ‘n’ roll hotbed of Cleveland, Gillard’s talents established him early on as a major player in his hometown’s underground rock renaissance. He first gained attention as a charter member of seminal glam-punk iconoclasts Death of Samantha. Later, he co-founded the D.O.S. spin-off Cobra Verde and simultaneously recorded and released two albums, an EP and various singles of his own compositions with his combo Gem.

In 1997, Gillard began his first tenure as lead guitarist and occasional songwriter with Ohio lo-fi legends Guided by Voices. During that period, he penned the single “I Am A Tree” and was featured on six of the band’s albums as well as various singles, EPs and side projects. By the time they initially disbanded in 2004, Gillard had already branched out as a solo artist with the acclaimed Malamute Jute EP (1998). In 2005, he released Salamander, his first full-length album under his own name, after 15 odd years of contributing solo songs to various compilations.

Moving to New York in 2007 further intensified Gillard’s output. In addition to playing his own shows and releasing his 2009 solo album Call from Restricted, he also became a member of popular alt-rockers Nada Surf as well as all-star Beatles tribute combo Bambi Kino. He also composed and recorded the scores for the independent features American Cannibal and Donnybrook, as well as produced albums by Eternal Summers, The Bye Bye Blackbirds, and Sally Crewe and The Sudden Moves. Gillard rejoined GbV in 2016. In 2023, he was listed in Rolling Stone’s list of 250 Best Guitarists, and was the subject of a multi-page feature in Guitar Player magazine in 2024.

His prestigious resume aside, the eleven effortlessly engaging tunes that comprise Parallel Stride rank with the most compelling music that Gillard’s ever created. The album was recorded in the New York City area by co-producer Tom Beaujour at Nuthouse Recording, and Travis Harrison at Serious Business Recording.