New York-based indie outfit Widowspeak — Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas— are one of many bands to crop up in the busy local scene around the time I started this site, almost 16 years ago. They started out shuffling their gear between now, long-shuttered — and deeply beloved — venues like Glasslands, Cake Shop, 285 Kent, Death By Audio and a lengthy list of others, and their practice space at Monster Island Basement, which now is a Trader Joe’s. New York has fucking changed, y’all. Speaking of changes: the duo is now a married couple, working day jobs in their own off-season. Thomas is a carpenter, Hamilton a waitress.
Recently, the duo announced that their highly-anticipated seventh album, Roses will be released June 5, 2026 through Captured Tracks. Deeply informed by their respective day jobs, Roses isn’t populated with dramatic overtures, but with the backdrop of the minutiae and repetition of daily acts. There’s the small observations before, during and after work: the ritual-like act of pouring water or coffee for customers, the bemusement and frustration of catching a cold on your only day off. Maybe you’re daydreaming about your life if you won the lottery — or maybe realizing that you already won.
The 10-song Roses was recorded last January at the Old Carpet Factory on the Greek Island of Hydra, a studio located in an old house, tucked into the village’s steep hills. During the winter, without the rush of tourists, it’s quiet. Longtime touring members Willy Muse, John Andrews and Noah Bond were the session backing band.
The album’s material was then taken home and slowly, lightly tinkered with before being mixed by Alex Farrar at Drop of Sun Studios and mastered by Greg Obis at Chicago Mastering.
Throughout the album, intimate spaces and stages of love are captured with a nostalgic, almost sepia-toned, vaseline coated lens. As always, the beating heart of their work is the interplay between Hamilton’s languid, dreamy and textured delivery and Hamilton’s bluesy, visceral guitar work.
Roses‘ will include the previously released “If You Change,” the lush and cinematic “No Driver,” and the album’s third and latest single, “Soft Cover.” “Soft Cover” is a shuffling driving and achingly gorgeous song anchored around featuring what may arguably the album’s most sweeping hooks and Hamilton’s swooning, heartfelt delivery. The song evokes both the sensation of daydreaming about someone, as you’re going about the mundane actions of your day — and the sensation of longing and hoping to see that special someone as soon as possible.
“Soft Cover” is about infatuation: wanting and daydreaming about someone as you’re going about your day… even if, and maybe especially if, you’ve been with them a long time,” says Hamilton. “We brought in a Rhodes for this one, so it came in a car from Athens, then took a boat, then a donkey carried it up to the studio,” Hamilton adds, describing the unique recording conditions they experienced at the Old Carpet Factory on the Greek island Hydra.
Directed by Otium, the accompanying video features the band’s Molly Hamilton as a singing telegram girl, who daydreams of a idealized Shakespearean/Renaissance Faire man (Robert Earl Thomas) courting her with old-timey poetry as she reads from her pulp novel. “The video is the last in the world of the trilogy, where the Singing Telegram Girl is dreaming about an idealized Renaissance Faire Guy while waiting around, reading a pulpy novel,” Hamilton says. “Rob was incredibly enthusiastic about this one because he loves medieval history and we got to pick out some fun costumes from Adele’s of Hollywood. He’s a star!”
Widowspeak will be embarking on a recently announced summer run of tour dates across the States that kicks off with a June 16, 2026 stop at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Today, they announced a late-fall run of UK and European dates between November and mid-December. Tour dates and ticket information is below.
Tour Dates
06/16 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
06/18 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
06/19 – Washington DC – DC9
06/20 – Mount Solon, VA – Red Wing Roots Festival
06/22 – Raleigh, NC – Pour House
06/23 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
06/24 – Nashville, TN – Third Man Blue Room
06/26 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th St. Entry
06/27 – Milwaukee, WI – The Argo
06/28 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
06/30 – Ferndale, MI – Magic Bag
07/01 – Toronto, ON – Sound Garage
07/02 – Montreal, QC – L’Esco
07/03 – Boston, MA – Arts at the Armory
07/30 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
07/31-08/02 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon (Festival)
08/04 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
08/07 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
08/08 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
08/09 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
08/11 – Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot Brewery
08/12 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
08/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge (Psych Lake City Festival)
08/15 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club
08/16 – Spokane, WA – The District
Nov 12th – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Nov 13th – Dublin, IE @ Workmans Club
Nov 15th – Glasgow, UK @ The Rum Shack
Nov 16th – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Nov 17th – London, UK @ Scala
Nov 18th – Lille, FR @ La Bulle
Nov 19th – Paris, FR @ LePopUp!
Nov 22nd – Milan, IT @ Arci Bellezza
Nov 23rd – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F
Nov 24th – Munich, DE @ Milla
Nov 25th – Salzburg, AT @ Rockhouse
Nov 27th – Prague, CZ @ Café V Lese
Nov 29th – Warsaw, PL @ Chmury
Dec 1st – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club
Dec 2nd – Hamburg, DE @ Hebebuhne
Dec 3rd – Malmö, SE @ Plan B
Dec 4th – Gothenburg, SE @ Pustervik
Dec 5th – Stockholm, SE @ Hus 7
Dec 6th – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
Dec 7th – Copenhagen, DK @ Rust
Dec 9th – Utrecht, NL @ DB’s
Dec 10th – Kortrijk, BE @ Wilde Westen
Dec 11th – Hasselt, BE @ AFF
Dec 13th – Tilburg, NL @ Hall of Fame
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