It’s been two years since Superchunk released its ninth studio LP, Majesty Shredding. On June 12th, the Chapel Hill rockers return with a new 7″, titled “This Summer”, via Merge. The single will also contain a cover of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer” as its B-side, and be pressed on white vinyl limited to 1300 copies worldwide. What’s more, there will be a digital download code for an acoustic version of “This Summer”.

Frontman Mac McCaughan released a statement about the single:

I like “summer” songs. They could be about the actual season, or just be songs listened to most while doing things you do during the summer—taking a road trip, going to the coast, sitting outside on the roof or the porch or the beach or wherever. And actually, maybe most of those songs were written during the winter or the spring by someone somewhere cold who was looking forward to summer (because for one thing, if you want a song to come out during the summer, please note that you have to make it long before then).

And since a new Superchunk album is a ways off, we thought a summer-themed single was at least pitching in a little bit for 2012. “This Summer” is about all the things listed above plus some ritual wiping-the-slate-type energy. Coming up with a B-side didn’t take long. Luckily for fans of Seals & Crofts, Nancy and Lee, Spent, Carole King, and the 3Ds, their “summer” songs were spared. Bananarama, here we come!

If you get the “demo” version of “This Summer,” it’s one of many demos for this song. The very first one was actually all electric and sounds a little too close to the studio version to be worth hearing. I had to do a bunch of quiet ones to get the structure right; this is one of those.

Superchunk - "This Summer" b/w "Cruel Summer" 7"s will be hand-numbered out of 1300. Preorders will ship to arrive on or around the release date of June 12, 2012.

Merge is currently accepting pre-orders for the 7″ now.