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Sylvan Esso, the electronic pop duo consisting of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, will release their fifth studio album, Ow ∞, on September 11 via their label, Psychic Hotline. The 12-track project, produced at the band’s Betty’s studio in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, follows their 2022 Grammy-nominated album No Rules Sandy and marks their first full-length release distributed entirely through the independent label they co-founded in 2019.
The Creative Vision Behind Ow ∞
The album arrives after a four-year writing process that the duo describes as a period of gaining total creative autonomy. But also it’s a little silly," Meath said of the project’s central philosophy. She characterized the album as a "rallying cry" for accepting the inevitability of personal hardship as part of the human experience.
The album’s aesthetic blends Sanborn’s electronic production with live instrumentation, featuring contributions from collaborators including Daniel Aged, Glenn Kotche, Buddy Ross, Jenn Wasner, and Jake Luppen. The lead single, "Concrete Glen," exemplifies this approach by incorporating a sample of Sigur Rós’ "Svefn-g-englar" into a hazy, surrealist pop arrangement.
Global Listening Events and Tour Schedule
Before the official release, Sylvan Esso will host a series of global listening events on September 3. Fans can hear the album in its entirety at select venues in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.
Following the launch, the duo will embark on an extensive tour beginning in October 2026 and running through March 2027. The itinerary includes:
- October 2026: Stops in Atlanta, Asheville, Washington, D.C., and the Good Moon Festival in Durham, North Carolina (October 8–10).
- Late 2026: Performances in Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, and Minneapolis.
- Early 2027: A West Coast and Mountain West run, including shows in Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver, and Austin, concluding in Nashville on March 13.
Ow ∞ Tracklist
The album features 12 tracks, highlighting the duo’s shift toward a more collaborative and independent production style:
- Entertainment & Coca-Cola
- Flood Season
- Hot Slob
- Concrete Glen
- Back Again
- Ribbon
- Sledge
- Right to Left
- Good at Pain
- Jessica
- On & On
- Plastic Sword
The Good Moon Festival, curated by the duo and Psychic Hotline, serves as a significant milestone for the band’s label, featuring a diverse lineup including Tyler Childers, Meshell Ndegeocello, and MJ Lenderman. Tickets for the tour and festival dates are currently available through the band’s official website.
Worth a look