Emma Ruth Rundle has just released her sixth studio album, These Killing Times, via her own imprint Errant Child. In celebration of its release, the singer-songwriter has gifted us with an exclusive track-by-track breakdown of the LP. These Killing Times finds Emma returning to a full-band setup, giving the tracks a quiet-loud dynamic, with lyrics covering sociopolitical issues and personal reflections, as outlined in her song descriptions below.
Album Overview
The album was co-produced by Sonny Diperri (My Bloody Valentine, Trent Reznor), and features a backing band comprised of Jess Gowrie (Chelsea Wolfe, Mrs. Piss), Troy Zeigler, Patrick Shiroishi, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos), Gina Gleason (Baroness), Marissa Nadler, Lukas Frank (Storefront Church), and Amelia Baker (Cinder Well).
Upcoming Tours
Emma Ruth Rundle will support These Killing Times with a pair of US tours this fall. First, she’ll perform solo as support for All Them Witches throughout October. Then she’ll embark on her own headlining tour in November and December with a full backing band. Tickets for her upcoming shows are available here.
Track-by-Track Breakdown
“Powerless” was the last song Emma Ruth Rundle wrote for this album – it came very quickly and was almost a pure expression of the frustration and anger she felt after reading about Noam Chomsky’s involvement with Epstein. The bridges include a reference to the story of John Henry and the image of the hammer – she fell in love with this idea and lyric by way of Gillian Welch’s song “Dream a Highway” – Lord, let me die with a hammer in my hand – like a prayer to never give up and never stop trying.
“God’s Picture” was the first song Emma Ruth Rundle wrote for the album, and she wrote it during the insane fires that consumed many parts of LA in early 2025 — this while the genocide in Gaza was raging. Many of her friends were evacuating their homes all across the city and some even lost everything to fires.
“Anvil” is a song for the bitches, witches, and queers, as Emma Ruth Rundle feels she can fall a little into all those categories. She feels safe speaking about the experience of being twisted and shaped by patriarchal systems. She is so angry and sick of it.
“Catherine Wheel” is about the cognitive dissonance that Emma Ruth Rundle felt between the world she thought we might move towards when she was young and hopeful and the one we are actually moving towards. This song is about American corruption and wishing that we had more of a radical resistance.
“Don’t Delay Heaven” is a love song for the end times — Emma Ruth Rundle originally wrote this chorus for her dog, Red, as she was watching her running around in the grass. She only has three legs, so when she moves, she sort of hops around and her ears flap in a way that makes it seem like they are helping her — sort of fly.
“Enough” is another song like “Anvil” — Emma Ruth Rundle was thinking about “The Man Who Sold the World” — and the story of Elijah who was taken up into heaven. In her version of the story, Elijah is basically Elon Musk and gets torn into pieces by an angry and vengeful god.
“Human Kindness” is inspired by a line in Macbeth: too full of the milk of human kindness. It’s an evocative image. Emma Ruth Rundle was thinking about the climactic scene in The Grapes of Wrath during which a new mother who’s infant died is breastfeeding a feeble elderly man to keep him alive.
“Oceans of Time” ultimately serves to bring the listener into the dialogue by leaving the album with a question: What should we live for? Love? What kind of world do we wish to build? To live in? Emma Ruth Rundle knows that this isn’t it… maybe we should think about where to go from here and how we get there?
In conclusion, Emma Ruth Rundle’s These Killing Times is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged album that explores sociopolitical issues and personal reflections. With its quiet-loud dynamic and full-band setup, the album is a must-listen for fans of Emma Ruth Rundle and anyone looking for music that challenges and inspires. Be sure to stream These Killing Times and check out Emma Ruth Rundle’s upcoming tour dates.
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