Widowspeak’s new album The Jacket is out now. It arrives less than two years after their excellent 2020 release Plum and continues to explore many of the same musical and philosophical themes, pairing meditations about work, identity, and fulfillment with dreamy, folk-tinged indie rock. The more I listen to The Jacket, the more I’m reminded of what an unsung treasure Widowspeak have become over the course of a decade-plus.

To commemorate the new album’s release, I interviewed core band members Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas on our weekly live podcast Callin Me Maybe. Among many other things, we discussed the conceptual narrative that was originally driving the album (it involved a chain stitcher who goes from making elaborate costumes for bands to joining one and hitting the road), the preponderance of sick guitar parts on these new songs, the choice to endure as a band in a changing music industry, why The Jacket feels like a return to Widowspeak’s early days, the recent sale of Bandcamp to Epic Games, and much more. You can listen to our full conversation here, and you really should because it was a great chat.

The Band Is Called Widowspeak, a mini-documentary about Widowspeak and The Jacket, is also out now. Below, you can watch the short film and stream the new album in full.

TOUR DATES:
04/07 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right
04/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
04/09 – Washington, DC @ Jammin’ Java
04/10 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
04/13 – Miami, FL @ The Fillmore *
04/14 – Orlando, FL @ House of Blues *
04/15 – Athens, GA @ Hendershots
04/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
04/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
04/19 – New Orleans, LA @ d.b.a
04/20 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
04/21 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
04/22 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
04/23 – Ft Worth, TX @ Tulips
04/25 – Albuquerque, NM @ InsideOut
04/26 – Tucson, AZ @ Groundworks
04/27 – Palm Springs, CA @ Alibi
04/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
04/29 – Santa Ana, CA @ La Santa
04/30 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
05/02 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room
05/03 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Atrium at The Catalyst
05/04 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
05/06 – Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
05/07 – Seattle, WA @ Belltown Bloom Festival
05/08 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
05/09 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Hangar House
05/10 – Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
05/12 – Des Monies, IA @ xBk
05/14 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
05/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern

* w/ Clairo

The Jacket is out now on Captured Tracks.