Primus has announced A Handful of Nuggs, a new special EP available now digitally, with a special-edition 12-inch vinyl release arriving July 22nd and pre-orders live now.
Leading the release is the EP’s focus track, “The Ol’ Grizz,” among the first new studio recordings to feature drummer John Hoffman. “The Ol’ Grizz” finds Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde, and Hoffman locking into the kind of twisted rhythmic chemistry that has long defined Primus – shifting between high-speed bass runs, warped psychedelic textures, and explosive percussion with the band’s unmistakable mix of technical precision and off-center groove.
A Handful of Nuggs also features Primus’ cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver,“ sung by Puddles Pity Party, alongside two recent fan favorites from the band’s current era: “Little Lord Fentanyl” featuring Maynard James Keegan and “Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread),” recorded live at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia, PA.
The announcement arrives amid a particularly active stretch for Claypool. Today also marks the CD release of The Claypool Lennon Delirium‘s The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, which arrived on vinyl on May 8th and digitally on May 1st via ATO Records. The sprawling 14-song concept album from Les Claypool and Sean Ono Lennon explores A.I., empathy, mortality, free will, and the dangers of optimization without human feeling. The CD edition arrives in an enlarged gatefold 7-inch jacket that highlights the album’s artwork and 24-page companion comic created with longtime collaborator Rich Ragsdale.
The Delirium also released a new animated video piece today in collaboration with Paste Magazine, featuring actor, comedian, writer, and musician Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows, Toast of London) alongside animation by Ragsdale, offering another glimpse into the project’s surreal visual world. At the same time, Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade are gearing up for the May 22nd release of Return Of The Live Frogs: Volume 1, a new live collection capturing the band’s expansive, improvisational return and the loose, exploratory spirit that has made the Frog Brigade one of Claypool’s most beloved and unpredictable projects for more than two decades.
Next week, all three projects converge with the launch of the Claypool Gold Tour, a full-evening summer run bringing together Primus, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade for one genre-bending night. The coast-to-coast tour begins May 20th in Reno, NV, and runs through July 4th in Napa, CA, giving audiences a rare chance to see Claypool move through three distinct corners of his musical universe in a single evening. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.lesclaypool.com/.
A Handful of Nuggs by Primus
1. The Ol’ Grizz
2. Holy Diver (feat. Puddles Pity Party)
3. Little Lord Fentanyl (feat. Puscifer)
4. Duchess (And The Proverbial Mind Spread) (Live from the Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA)
Claypool Gold 2026 Tour
Wednesday, May 20 – Reno Events Center – Reno, NV
Friday, May 22 – Hayden Homes Amphitheater – Bend, OR
Saturday, May 23 – Marymoor Live – Redmond, WA
Monday, May 25 – KettleHouse Amphitheater – Bonner, MT
Tuesday, May 26 – The Lot at the Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
Thursday, May 28 – Starlight Amphitheatre – Kansas City, MO
Saturday, May 30 – The Factory – St. Louis, MO
Sunday, May 31 – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre – Rochester Hills, MI
Tuesday, June 2 – Jacobs Pavilion – Cleveland, OH
Wednesday, June 3 – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL
Friday, June 5 – The Caverns Outdoor Amphitheater – Pelham, TN
Saturday, June 6 – KEMBA Live! Outdoor – Columbus, OH
Tuesday, June 9 – Thompson’s Point – Portland, ME
Wednesday, June 10 – Leader Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
Friday, June 12 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
Saturday, June 13 – Stone Pony Summerstage – Asbury Park, NJ [SOLD OUT]
Sunday, June 14 – All Good Now Festival – Columbia, MD
Tuesday, June 16 – The AMP Ballantyne – Charlotte, NC
Wednesday, June 17 – Firefly Distillery – North Charleston, SC
Friday, June 19 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL
Saturday, June 20 – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
Monday, June 22 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR
Tuesday, June 23 – ACL Live at Moody Theatre – Austin, TX
Thursday, June 25 – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
Saturday, June 27 – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO [SOLD OUT]
Sunday, June 28 – Dillon Amphitheater – Dillon, CO
Tuesday, June 30 – Arizona Financial Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
Wednesday, July 1 – Gallagher Square – San Diego, CA
Friday, July 3 – Long Beach Amphitheater – Long Beach, CA
Saturday, July 4 – Meritage Resort & Spa – Napa, CA
Pre-order A Handful of Nuggs HERE
Stream “The Ol’ Grizz” HERE
www.primusville.com
https://www.lesclaypool.com/
https://www.theclaypoollennondelirium.com/
