The Minus 5 Share “Let The Rope Hold, Cassie Lee” from ‘Oar On, Penelope!’, Out May 30 on Yep Roc Records

“The mighty Scott McCaughey—the busiest man in independent music?—is back fronting the long-running Minus 5, still excelling at irresistible power pop hooks, even after all these years.” –Bandcamp Daily: The Hotlist, Spring 2025

Indie power-pop rock collective The Minus 5, lead by legendary musician and songwriter Scott McCaughey, share the third single and video, “Let The Rope Hold, Cassie Lee” from Oar On, Penelope! out May 30 on Yep Roc Records.

Named the “Coolest Song in the World” by SiriusXM’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage, of ”‘Let The Rope Hold, Cassie Lee,” frontman Scott McCaughey says: “Inspired to come up with a sideways ‘Little Black Egg,’ this came in handy at the end of the long day’s recording. When mutiny was threatened, my assurance that if the gang could last just one more song, it would most assuredly be a One Take Wonder. It had to be; it was. We’re all hanging on to our memories by a thread, but the thread can be pretty strong. ‘Time gets fatter on its own decay…’ Speaking of IN ROCK, Peter grabbed the bass on these sessions and just played superbly throughout, in-the-pocket Musicmaster-style.” Directed and photographed by McCaughey, the lyric video is entirely composed of album covers from his record collection that influenced the song.

Produced by Scott McCaughey and mixed by legendary engineer Ed Stasium (The Replacements, Ramones, Talking Heads), Oar On, Penelope! is The Minus 5’s first album of all-original material in five years and features help from some of his most trusted allies: Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Debbi Peterson (The Bangles), Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks), Linda Pitmon (Baseball Project, Filthy Friends), and Spencer Tweedy.

Previous singles include, “Words & Birds,“ “a power-pop gem” (American Songwriter), is a raucous ode to life, punctuated by cranky guitars and McCaughey’s unmistakable vocal delivery and “Blow in My Bag,” built on the “idea of a Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazlewood duet, but of course between me and Debbi,” says McCaughey.

Throughout the 12-song collection, McCaughey’s breadth of musical knowledge and appreciation is on full display from the addictive power pop of “Words & Birds” to the gnarly garage rock of “The Garden of Arden,” the Neil Young-influenced Americana of “Bison Queen,” and the bite-sized psychedelia of “Sharktooth.” “The songs feel immediate, relatively unadorned, and somewhat more positive in an indescribable way,” says McCaughey. “The words could be termed stream-of-consciousness, which is nothing new from this sector, but there seems to be a ray of light fighting its way through the usual twisted tales.”

In June, The Minus 5 will embark on a seven-date West Coast tour with stops in Pioneertown, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver and in September will open for the Baseball Project on a 15-date East Coast run. A complete list of dates is below, and tickets are now available here.

Over a four-decade career, indie rock cult hero Scott McCaughey has been a member of many bands, including R.E.M., Young Fresh Fellows, Baseball Project, Filthy Friends, and Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, to name a few.  Still, The Minus 5 has remained one of the most enduring projects of his storied résumé. Suffering a near-fatal stroke in 2017, it was under the The Minus 5 name that McCaughey put out the recordings of Stroke Manor, featuring the original songs that detail his recovery through music therapy.

Formed in 1993 by Scott McCaughey, The Minus 5 is known for its collaborative ethos and ever-changing lineup, which has included some of the most celebrated names in music, from Jeff Tweedy and Wilco to The Decemberists, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Kelly Hogan, M. Ward, Chuck Prophet, Michael McCready of Pearl Jam, Alejandro Escovedo, and many more. The band embodies the communal spirit that has been a hallmark of the band since its inception.

Oar On, Penelope! Tracklist

1. Words & Birds
2. Death the Bludgeoner
3. Let the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee
4. I Don’t Want to Hate Anyone
5. The Garden of Arden
6. Last Hotel
7. Bison Queen
8. Falling Like Jets
9. Burgundy Suit
10. Blow in My Bag
11. Sharktooth
12. What Shall Not Be Released 

The Minus 5 Tour Dates

• May 9 -13 – Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise – Miami, FL
• June 1 – Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA+
• June 2 – Casbah – San Diego, CA+
• June 3 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA+
• June 4 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA%
• June 6 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR%
• June 7 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA%
• June 8 – Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
• July 18 & 19 – Woodtick Fest – Darby, MT
• August 14 – Strange Brew – Bristol, UK^
• August 15 – O’Meara – London, UK^
• August 16 – O’Meara – London, UK^
• August 17 – Cavern – Exeter, UK^
• August 19 – Portland Arms – Cambridge, UK^
• August 20 – Hare & Hounds – Birmingham, UK^
• August 21 – Metronome – Nottingham, UK^
• August 22 – Arts Centre – Pocklington, UK^
• August 23 – Gorilla – Manchester, UK^
• August 27 – Trades Club – Hebden Bridge, UK^
• August 28 – Brudenell – Leeds, UK^
• August 29 – Cluny – Newcastle, UK^
• August 30 – Oran Mor – Glasgow, UK^
• August 31 – Ferret – Preston, UK^
• September 10 – Intuition Ale Works – Jacksonville, FL*
• September 11 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL*
• September 12 – 40 Watt Club – Athens, GA*
• September 16 – Codfish Hollow – Maquoketa, IA*
• September 17 – Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN*
• September 18 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL*
• September 19 – Bell’s Beer Garden – Kalamazoo, MI*
• September 20 – Mr. Smalls Theatre – Millvale, PA*
• September 21 – White Eagle Hall – Jersey City, NJ*
• September 23 – Crystal Ballroom – Somerville, MA*
• September 24 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA*
• September 25 – The Hamilton – Washington, DC*
• September 26 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA*
• September 27 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC*
• September 30 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA*

+w/ Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill
%w/ The Rubinoos
w/ Luke Haines & Peter Buck
*w/ The Baseball Project

Follow The Minus 5
Facebook | Instagram