After years of living out of suitcases, chasing melodies between tour buses and studio sessions, Remi Wolf has finally found a little room to breathe, and the result is something beautifully unpolished. Her third studio album, Mud, arrived Friday, Oct. 9, through Island Records, introducing 11 tracks that trade some of the maximalist frenzy listeners have grown attached to for something warmer, earthier, and a little more vulnerable. But don’t mistake that newfound spaciousness for a lack of imagination; Wolf’s signature eccentricity is still woven through every corner, only now there’s a sense of intimacy that makes the music feel like you’re sitting on the living room floor while a group of friends passes instruments around and lets the afternoon unravel. Featuring previously released singles “Twiggy,” “Bottle,” and “I Won’t Cry,” the record emerges as another ambitious chapter for an artist who has never been particularly interested in coloring inside the lines. To usher in the release, Wolf brought “I Won’t Cry” to Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night, giving audiences a taste of the music before the full album settled into their weekend rotations.
The roots of Mud stretch back to a period when Wolf found herself questioning the very creative process that had carried her through two acclaimed albums, Juno and Big Ideas. After years of relentless touring, writing and recording, she retreated from the constant motion and found herself surrounded by a close-knit circle of collaborators, including longtime creative partner Jared Solomon, Jack DeMeo, Jamie McLaughlin and Gigi Grombacher. What began with early sessions in Nashville eventually blossomed into something more organic during a getaway to Big Bear, where afternoons dissolved into songwriting, family dinners and microphones passed around the kitchen, a makeshift ensemble Wolf affectionately dubbed a “family band.” That sense of familiarity followed the group into New York City’s Electric Lady Studios before the final pieces came together in Joshua Tree, with the musicians embracing live instrumentation, spontaneous arrangements and the little imperfections that make a recording feel human. Wolf even settled behind the drum kit herself, allowing the music to grow from instinct rather than forcing every detail into pristine perfection. There’s something fitting about calling this record Mud; the beauty isn’t in keeping everything spotless, but in getting your hands dirty enough to create something that feels alive.
And Wolf isn’t keeping this new world confined to streaming platforms. Alongside the album, she announced an expansive headlining run, “The Mud Tour,” beginning this December in Australia with performances at Spilt Milk Festival and intimate headline dates in Sydney and Melbourne before returning to North America in February 2027. The itinerary stretches through major cities including Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta, Austin and Seattle, with a particularly special evening scheduled for New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 27 and a stop at Colorado’s beloved Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 16. Before the larger trek begins, Wolf will celebrate the record with two intimate performances, first at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre on Oct. 10, followed by Webster Hall in New York City on Oct. 13, giving fans a rare opportunity to experience the new material in rooms considerably smaller than the stages she has become accustomed to gracing. After sharing bills with Paramore, Lorde and Olivia Rodrigo and captivating audiences at festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, Wolf has already proven her ability to command enormous crowds, but Mud suggests she’s found something equally profound in stripping the spectacle back and allowing the music to speak for itself. Tickets for “The Mud Tour” go on sale to the general public Friday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m. local time, and Mud is available now across streaming platforms.
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