Article Contributed by IndieMusicMedia
Published on 2026-08-12
Out today, “Freak Accident” is the latest release from Soul Asylum’s forthcoming live album, MPLS Unplugged, arriving August 28. Originally featured on the band’s acclaimed 2020 studio album Slowly But Shirley, the song is reimagined in an intimate acoustic setting that puts Dave Pirner’s songwriting front and center.
Recorded live at Minneapolis’ historic State Theatre on April 20, 2023, nearly 30 years to the day after Soul Asylum’s landmark MTV Unplugged performance, MPLS Unplugged celebrates by presenting new interpretations that span every era of the band’s career. Rather than recreating the past, the album finds Soul Asylum rediscovering familiar songs with warmth, vulnerability and renewed perspective.
Pirner is joined by longtime guitarist Ryan Smith, bassist Jeremy Tapparo and drummer Michael Bland, along with Ivan Neville on keyboards, whose history with the band dates back to the original 1993 MTV Unplugged session. Also featured are the STRINGenius string quartet and the Robert Robinson Gospel Singers, whose contributions enrich the album without overwhelming its stripped-down approach.
“Freak Accident” is one of the album’s standout reinterpretations. The STRINGenius arrangements gently expand the song without losing what made the original so affecting.
Beyond reimagined favorites, MPLS Unplugged also offers longtime fans two of the most anticipated recordings in the band’s catalog. Both “What Will Become of Me,” first performed live in 1995, and the concert staple “Farmer John” receive their first-ever official releases after years of existing exclusively on stage.
With each advance release, MPLS Unplugged has revealed a different side of the band’s catalog, from the reimagined hit “Misery,” to the long-awaited debut of the live favorite “What Will Become of Me,” and now the reinterpretation of “Freak Accident.” Together, the recordings show that these songs still have plenty left to say.
More than four decades into their career, Soul Asylum continues to tour relentlessly, bringing MPLS Unplugged to audiences across the U.S. and Canada.
Photo credit: Tony Nelson
Tracklisting for MPLS Unplugged
Side A:
1. The Storm Is Passing Over
2. Somebody To Shove
3. Crazy Mixed Up World
4. String of Pearls
5. Without A Trace
Side B:
1. Freak Accident
2. Lately
3. Misery
4. Never Really Been
5. Runaway Train
Side C:
1. What Will Become of Me
2. Stand Up and Be Strong
3. Homesick
4. Black Gold
5. If I Told You
Side D:
1. The Sun Maid
2. New World
3. Farmer John
4. Eyes Of A Child
5. Made To Be Broken
SOUL ASYLUM NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2026
August 16 — Solana Beach, CA — Belly Up
August 17 — Pomona, CA — The Glass House
August 19 — Garden City, ID — Revolution Concert House
August 21 — Libby, MT — Happy’s Inn
August 23 — Calgary, AB, Canada — The Arrowhead
August 25 — Edmonton, AB, Canada — Midway
August 26 — Regina, SK, Canada — Casino Regina
August 27 — Winnipeg — Park Theatre
September 26 — Virginia Beach, VA — 24th Street Park
November 21 — Clearwater, FL — St. Pete Bike Fest
More dates TBA.
Tickets on sale now at SoulAsylum.com.
