David Byrne Announces First Album Since 2018 With ‘Who Is The Sky?’, Drops New Single – Listen
The forthcoming record is set to feature guest appearances from collaborators like Paramore’s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, Tom Skinner (The Smile), and more.
Courtesy of Matador Records.
Courtesy of Matador Records.
Music legend David Byrne is officially back on the scene.
The iconic Talking Heads frontman has just announced Who Is the Sky?, his first solo album in six years, which is scheduled to be released this upcoming September 5, 2025, via Matador Records. The forthcoming album sees Byrne team up with Ghost Train Orchestra and the Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon (Tom Hull), and features a wide-ranging slate of collaborators such as Paramore’s Hayley Williams, longtime creative partner St. Vincent, The Smile and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco.
Alongside the album news, Byrne has given audiences their first teaser of the record with its lead single “Everybody Laughs” — a breezy, string-laced art-pop track that opens the album with his signature sense of playfulness and wonder. Together with its release, the beloved musician also dropped a coinciding music video that captures the whimsical energy of the track, directed by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. Check it out below:
An official press statement notes that Byrne began writing Who Is the Sky? in the wake of his 2018 album American Utopia — the era that spawned a hit Broadway show and Spike Lee-directed HBO special. “I’ve found that when the time comes, it’s easier to start if there’s a little stockpile,” Byrne said. “And before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.”
Of his collaborators, Byrne said, “I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs… At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that.”
“Every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There’s always a bit of, ‘How do I work this?’ I’ve found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it’s because I’m able to clearly impart what it is I’m trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we’re now joined together heading to the same unknown place,” he added.
To coincide with the album, Byrne has announced a special tour that will bring his brand-new live show to cities across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The tour will feature a 13-piece ensemble — including vocalists, dancers, and musicians from the American Utopia band — with a mobile, fully choreographed performance.
Just recently, Byrne appeared onstage with Olivia Rodrigo at the Governors Ball in New York City for a surprise duet of Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.” Meanwhile, his former band also just dropped a new music video for “Psycho Killer,” starring Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of their debut performance.
In recent years, the Talking Heads legacy has seen a major revival — including the Stop Making Sense reissue, a tribute album spearheaded by A24’s music division (even featuring artists like Lorde and Miley Cyrus among others), and a high-profile reunion at the Toronto International Film Festival.
As we anticipate the release of David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky?, listen to the record’s first single, “Everybody Laughs,” below: