For over a decade, John Craigie has made music that brings people in, not with spectacle but with sincerity and songs that feel like conversations. His new album I Swam Here, out February 6, 2026 on Zabriskie Point Records, was written and produced by Craigie and recorded between New Orleans and Astoria. Seven tracks were cut at Deslonde St Studios with musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes, including Howe Pearson, Max Bien Khan, Jonny Campos, and a guest appearance from Desiree Cannon. Longtime collaborator Anna Moss appears across much of the record. The remaining tracks were finished at the Rope Room in Astoria, carrying over the same spirit and palette. The cover art, painted by Brittany Schall, nods to the design of mid century samba and jazz records. The album’s singles trace the path of its making. “Fire Season,” engineered by Bart Budwig, was one of the first songs written and features Cooper Trail, Nevada Sowle, Luke Ydstie, and Jamie Greenan. “Dry Land” was reworked in Astoria after early New Orleans sessions didn’t feel right. “Edna Strange,” inspired by Marty Robbins, is the only track where Craigie plays steel string acoustic, with Max Bien Khan on nylon string leads and a trio vocal arrangement in place of Moss’s harmonies. Following 2024’s Pagan Church with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, which spent six weeks at #1 on the Americana Albums chart, I Swam Here feels both expansive and intimate, shaped by the musical history of the Gulf Coast and the stillness of the Pacific Northwest. Craigie remains a tireless live performer, touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and Australia, appearing at festivals like Newport Folk, Pickathon, Edmonton Folk Festival, and High Sierra, and sharing the stage with artists such as Langhorne Slim, Sierra Hull, Gregory Alan Isakov, Brett Dennen, and Jack Johnson. His annual #KeepItWarm Tour donates $1 from every ticket sold to regional nonprofits, and his John Craigie On The River trips on the Tuolumne and Rogue rivers have become cherished gatherings for fans. I Swam Here is a grounded, collaborative step forward, blending New Orleans grit with Pacific Northwest quiet, and showing a songwriter still widening the world of his music.

Lucy Clearwater is a Los Angeles–based folk/Americana singer-songwriter who writes songs the way some people keep journals: honestly, carefully, and with a deep respect for feeling. With a background in classical violin and a sound rooted in acoustic instruments and human-scale storytelling, her songs carry emotional clarity, understated humor, and the warmth of California folk traditions. A winner of the 2024 Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition, Clearwater has become a steadily rising voice in contemporary folk music. She recently completed her first headline tour, performing 23 shows across the western United States and Mountain West, and has spent the last several years touring throughout the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe. She's often seen sharing stages with her friends and fellow artists such as John Craigie, Victoria Canal (both as a support act and band member), Ye Vagabonds, Joe Pug, Martin Luke Brown, Luca Fogale, Ocie Elliott, Tyler Ballgame, and others. Her debut album, People ≠ Possessions, produced by Grammy Award–winner Tyler Chester and recorded mostly live to tape at Bell Choir Studios in Los Angeles, was released in May 2026, and features contributions from her vibrant creative community, including Madison Cunningham, Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek), Rob Moose, Harrison Whitford, Hayden Everett, Drew Taubenfeld, Monica Martin and many more. The record reflects Clearwater's belief that music is something handmade, shared, and meant to be lived with.