Sylvan Esso have announced their first new album in four years, titled Ow 8, scheduled for release on 11 September 2026 via their own label, Psychic Hotline. Produced by duo Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, the record marks the longest period the band has ever spent writing an LP.
Alongside the announcement, Sylvan Esso dropped their second single from the project, titled "Concrete Glen". The track weaves in a sample of Sigur Rós’s "Svefn-g-englar" alongside Meath’s first vocal takes. The single follows the previously released "Hot Slob" across the 12-track project, which was crafted nearly every day since 2022 at their studio, Betty’s, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The upcoming record features an expanded lineup of collaborators and live instrumentation, including six different drummers alongside guitar, bass, keys, vibraphone, woodwinds, organ, and piano. Among the guest musicians participating in the sessions are Daniel Aged, BJ Burton, Matt Douglas, Glenn Kotche, Jake Luppen, TJ Maiani, James Mapley-Brittle, Buddy Ross, Jenn Wasner, and Joe Westerlund.
Ahead of the full LP release on 11 September 2026, global early listening events are scheduled for 3 September 2026. Locations hosted across the globe include London's Cafe 1001, Dublin's The Big Romance, Berlin's Unkompress, and various listening spaces in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Mexico City.
Following the album launch, the duo will embark on an extensive full-band tour across North America and international territories spanning late 2026 and 2027. Live dates include stops at London’s Rough Trade for an in-store performance on 21 September 2026, New York’s Brooklyn Paramount, Chicago’s Salt Shed, and Los Angeles’s Wiltern.
Additionally, Sylvan Esso and Psychic Hotline will present the return of their Good Moon festival in their hometown of Durham, North Carolina, from 8 October to 10 October 2026. The event takes over four local venues and features performances from Tyler Childers, MJ Lenderman, Meshell Ndegeocello, and two headline sets from Sylvan Esso themselves.
