Sylvan Esso have announced their fifth studio album, Ow ∞, due out September 11th via their own label, Psychic Hotline. Alongside the announcement, the duo has shared the album’s latest single, “Concrete Glen,” complete with an accompanying music video. The follow-up to 2022’s No Rules Sandy marks Sylvan Esso’s first album released entirely through Psychic Hotline, the label Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn co-founded in 2019. Produced by the duo at their Betty’s studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Ow ∞ was written over nearly four years and arrives at a moment when, after four acclaimed LPs and multiple Grammy nominations, the band has complete control over every aspect of its music.
Album Details
The newly released “Concrete Glen” reflects that approach, weaving a sample of Sigur Rós’ “Svefn-g-englar” into a hazy electronic pop track inspired by a surreal night out. Across the album’s 12 songs, Sylvan Esso enlisted a cast of collaborators, including Daniel Aged, Glenn Kotche, Buddy Ross, Jenn Wasner, Jake Luppen, and several others, combining live instrumentation with Sanborn’s electronic production in the duo’s unmistakable style.
Album Concept
Discussing the album’s central idea, Meath explained that Ow ∞ is about accepting life’s hardships. “Living hurts forever, and then it stops. But also it’s a little silly,” she said. “If you’re going to keep participating in the world, and in your life, you have to commit to being hurt… In some ways it’s like a rallying cry, saying, ‘I’m gonna get hurt forever, and that’s okay.’”
Tour and Festival
Before the album arrives, fans will be able to hear Ow ∞ in full during a series of global listening events on September 3rd, with stops planned in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Tokyo, and more. Following the album’s release, Sylvan Esso will take Ow ∞ on the road during the expansive full-band tour they announced alongside the release of “Hot Slob” last month.
The itinerary also encompasses the return of Sylvan Esso and Psychic Hotline’s Good Moon Festival, which will take over four venues across Durham, North Carolina, from October 8th-10th. The lineup features Tyler Childers, Meshell Ndegeocello, MJ Lenderman, aja monet, Jacques Greene, Circuit des Yeux, and more.
Sylvan Esso’s 2026-2027 tour dates will include performances at Brooklyn Paramount in New York, Chicago’s Salt Shed, Los Angeles’ Wiltern, and two nights apiece in Asheville, Washington, DC, Portland, and Denver before wrapping in Nashville next spring. The Ow ∞ album artwork and tracklist are also available, featuring 12 songs, including “Entertainment & Coca-Cola,” “Flood Season,” and “Concrete Glen.”
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