The Handsome Family release new album Hollow

US husband and wife duo, The Handsome Family, have released their brand new album, Hollow.

Released via the Loose label, the album announcement was coupled with the release of lead single 'Joseph'. Their eleventh studio album, Hollow delves into the natural world at the edges of the man-made. Lush with leaves and shadows, echoing with occult mystery, the record all began with a scream in the night, according to Brett Sparks.

Sparks recalls: “It was the last bleak winter months, last year of the pandemic. We had been working on the record the entire time, but at this point the lockdown, isolation, and dread had sapped us of our creative energy. However, we were hoping to write 2 or 3 more standout songs to flesh out the record. At the time we had fallen into a weird alternate sleep pattern. I was in the habit of staying up until 4am before going to bed. Rennie, on the other hand, woke up and began her day at around 5am.

"One night as I lay in bed waiting to drift into sleep, Rennie started mumbling. Talking in her sleep. She grew louder and louder, til she was screaming 'Come into the circle Joseph. There’s no moon tonight.' This was frightening but at the same time compelling. In other words, it would make a great chorus. I got out of bed and wrote the words down. The next day, Rennie added verses—commands, ritual incantations, destructive procedures, investigations, and so on. This song wrote itself.”

The married duo have been making magical americana music for 30 years, with Brett writing the music and Rennie writing the words. Their work has been covered by many artists including Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird and most-recently Phoebe Bridgers.

Brett describes their music as “Western gothic,” inspired by the abandoned strip malls of desert America where cracked pavement shimmers with heat and thorny weeds slowly reclaim the land.

The tracks may be dark, but there’s always laughter on stage with the pair. Rennie sings as well as plays banjo and bass, often introducing songs with seemingly unrelated stories. Brett, with his deep baritone and stentorian presence, is the undeniable center of stage.

“We’re astonished to be breathing,” Rennie says about the band’s longevity, “Let alone still be inspired to write songs and sing together. There’s been a lot of smashed coffee cups in our house over the years, but we’re still unable to resist the urge to make music.”

Hollow by The Handsome Family is out now. Check it out below!