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Feb 06, 2025 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Sophia Perras

Tomorrow, Canadian folk rock outfit HORSEBATH are set to share their debut album, Another Farewell. The band comes to their music with a winding mix of influences, ranging from ‘70s rock touchstones like The Band, Gram Parsons, or The Rolling Stones, to reflective singer/songwriters like Leonard Cohen. They temper these inspirations with unexpected shades of Tex Mex or cosmic country, offering branching stylistic detours from each of the band members.

The album features bandmates Keast Mutter, Daniel Connolly, Etienne Beausoleil, and Dagen Mutter trading instruments, songwriting, and vocal duties with each song, allowing the album to unfold as a collaborative blend of each members’ creative voices. The band says of the record:

Another Farewell, is a reflection of our life on the road, rooted in the rugged landscapes of ever-changing Canada, and nurtured by a bond of love, loss and pursuit.

We set sail from Nova Scotia en route to Montreal. There we spent a couple weeks in a live-in rehearsal space, writing and arranging the songs that would be recorded, some old, some new. Many different ideas were presented and thrown out in our effort to make what we felt was a cohesive album. With multiple writers, it was inevitable that there would be an eclectic array of styles.

As soon as we entered The Treatment Room and met Gilles, we were immediately put at ease. With a beautiful array of instruments and vintage sound gear, we felt like something was in the air. Having ten days to record created a flurry of writing which also became a theme in the spirit of the music, contributing to the fun, all or nothing energy of the songs.

Everything we did was an experiment of some kind, improvising with instruments, parts, and lyrics. As a band known for our raw and energetic live performances, the songs were best captured using the classic live-off-the-floor approach.

Today, ahead of the album’s release, HORSEBATH are sharing an early listen to the full record, premiering with Under the Radar.

The album opens with its lead single, “Hard to Love,” a catchy saloon rock sing-along soaked in honkey tonk piano, country guitar twang, and group harmonies. In contrast, “In The Shade” is an ambling wander through swampy summer haze and “Only In My Dreams” is a shuffling country tune, leaning into the band’s plaintive and winsome side. Later, “Long and Lonesome” operates at a subdued, smoky simmer, laced with bass grooves, fiery guitar licks, and shadowy cowboy posturing. There are moments on the record that feel light and charming, like the playful heartache ragtime of “Really Did A Number On Me,” but the band often sounds their best when they let loose and deliver barnstorming southern rock jams like their single “Train to Babylon” or the crazed and rollicking climax on “Never Be Another You.”

However, beneath all the vintage, sun-burnt guitars, the band also makes space for softer moments of introspection like the title track. The band’s Keast Mutter said of the track, “Life seems to be mostly about letting go at this point and cherishing the moments that make you feel especially human, or at least close to one. There’s plenty of devastation in beauty and it sadly goes both ways sooner or later. You can only smile gratefully at it all while you’ve got a chance.”

Check out the album below and pre-save order it here, out everywhere tomorrow, February 7th via Strolling Bones Records.