Watch Laura Veirs' 'Pulse' Video
(Chromatic) Laura Veirs today shared her new single/video "Pulse," the latest off her forthcoming new album Temple Songs, due out worldwide on August 14th, 2026, via her own Raven Marching Band Records.
Her 14th solo LP showcases Veirs' gift for simplicity and emotional precision, while also veering into art-experimental territory, as on the compelling and cacophonous "Pulse."
The track slowly builds from Veirs' expressive nylon-string guitar and vulnerable vocals to a brimming, lush soundscape featuring bold electric guitar embellishments and "Filthy" Lucre's saxophone-the only outside contribution on Temple Songs (Veirs herself wrote, recorded, arranged, produced, and performed the rest entirely on her own).
Of the song and its charming Twixx Williams-directed video, Veirs explains: "This song is about feeling the pulse of being alive-trusting that something good is still moving toward us, even in the middle of chaos and suffering. It's the most sonically dense track on the album, and building it piece by piece in the studio was fun. I played my niece's bass and my stepkids' drums, which gave it this layered, familial energy. My favorite moment is the dissonant duet between my electric guitar and the sax, played by special guest 'Filthy' Lucre-I love the feelings of tension and release. We carried that energy into the video, which features my blended family in a home gym setting. The video takes some bizarre turns with cake and silly string, which fits the chaos and playfulness of the music. I liked the idea of making an exercise video-partly as a nod to the elevated pulse of the title, and partly because I've gotten into weightlifting in recent years. I can now deadlift 110 pounds, which still surprises me."
"Pulse" follows the textured, stirring lead single "Flying Into Darkness," which earned praise and support from Stereogum, The Needle Drop, Brooklyn Vegan, Under The Radar, WNYC New Sounds, Folk Alley, and more. The esteemed Portland, OR-based artist will celebrate Temple Songs with a headlining fall tour, beginning in September in the UK before landing in the US in October, with Karl Blau opening all shows. Temple Songs is now available for pre-order here.
Since the 2022 release of her last studio album Found Light, Veirs has kept her days full: building a backyard studio, getting married, blending a family with four teenagers, deepening her visual art practice, and expanding her music teaching. "I didn't know if I would write songs again," she says. "Turns out that period was a gathering phase. When I made the commitment to recording the album myself, the muse caught me again and it came together very quickly." Written and recorded over three months in the fall of 2025 in Veirs' backyard 'Temple of Bloom' studio, her 14th solo LP marks a new level of artistic independence. While Found Light (co-produced by Veirs and Shahzad Ismaily) was a declaration of autonomy, Temple Songs goes even further: every creative decision was Veirs' alone.
Made with just two mics and a laptop in a 10' x 14' room, Veirs embraced the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi throughout the process, choosing not to pitch-correct vocals or edit out rough edges. "I wanted to make something that sounds as organic and human as possible," she says. Mixing by Philip Weinrobe (Adrienne Lenker) adds sympathetic finishing touches. Because the Temple of Bloom wasn't built for recording, the studio itself became a collaborator. Veirs paused takes for rain on the skylight-or let it stay. She waited out neighbors' conversations, raced to finish a sensitive vocal before a stump grinder roared to life, and included the presence of resident bluejays, passing crows, and other neighborhood sounds. These ambient intrusions lend the album an intimate, lived-in authenticity. She used no click tracks and no electronic instruments, working by feel and intuition while watching bamboo sway outside her studio window. At 52, Veirs has reconnected with herself through a radically new process: one that feels both fresh and profoundly earned.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]