Snail Mail Tapped Chicago's Sharp Pins for the Ricochet Tour

Words by Sam Kapoor

Photos by Rayna Sklar

Lindsey Jordan aka Snail Mail in front of a picket fence (Photo: Rayna Sklar)

Ahead of their North American tour that kicked off earlier this month in Milwaukee and goes through until next month with Sharp Pins, Snail Mail, the solo project of Lindsey Erin Jordan, released her third album, Ricochet. This record highlights Jordan's trademark mystical lyricism also while opting for orchestral, polished production over the cherry soda bite we are accustomed to in her previous two albums and debut EP, signaling a polarizing shift in the Baltimore artists' sound.

Speaking of a band with an imperfectly perfect bite, Chicago's Sharp Pins were to my pleasant surprise, tapped to join Snail Mail on this tour. I saw Sharp Pins perform in Atlanta, 2024, opening for Finn Wolfhard in a tiny standing room venue in the East Atlanta Village, so I'm glad I got to see the now Pitchfork acclaimed band again this past week after being a fan for the last few years, front row at Variety Playhouse no less.

Kai Slater of the Sharp Pins (Photo: Rayna Sklar)

Sharp Pins opened the show up wonderfully. They have such an odd, quirky vibe to them that compliments Snail Mail well. After fixing his guitar strap when it came undone before starting a ballad, Kai Slater, the frontman of the Sharp Pins said "Alright, as it were." Like see, that is such an eccentric, back-in-the-day way to communicate. I love it.

This tour clearly is as much for Lindsey as it is for the longtime fans, a celebration of her discography so far while keeping the emphasis on the tracks from Ricochet for all the new fans in attendance. Before performing and exclaiming that "Reverie" is her favorite song on the album, Jordan recognized that their was a couple in the audience who's dancing to the song at their wedding and she absolutely loved that bit of lore. As I watch the rest of Snail Mail's set, the stage light's ricocheting off her bright humble smile, it's clear this is where Lindsey Jordan is meant to be, in the spotlight performing her mystical indie tunes.