Nicole Atkins Releases New Album w/New Song Ft. Chris Isaak
NICOLE ATKINS RAISES THE CURTAIN ON NEW ALBUM, DRAMA -
ACCLAIMED SINGER-SONGWRITER SHARES SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM
AND FIRST ALL-NEW FULL-LENGTH RELEASE IN OVER SIX YEARS
EVOCATIVE NEW SINGLE, “CUE THE SYMPHONY,”
FEATURING DUET VOCALS FROM CHRIS ISAAK
PREMIERES TODAY – LISTEN
US HEADLINE TOUR BEGINS OCTOBER 9 IN COLUMBUS, OH
Nicole Atkins is proud to unveil her eagerly anticipated new album, Drama, available everywhere now via Sun Records/Wicked Game Records. Atkins’ seventh studio album and first all-new full-length release in over six years, Drama includes the cinematically evocative new single, “Cue the Symphony,” featuring duet vocals from longtime friend – and Wicked Game Records founder – Chris Isaak.
“While sitting on Chris Isaak’s porch during a rain storm this song came out of a conversation we were having,” says Nicole Atkins. “A mundane sentence had a certain sparkle and morphed into a ballad of everlasting love. It only took about 10 minutes until we were swept into the drama of it and the full cinematic scope of ‘Cue the Symphony’ came into being. I’ve been singing with Chris Isaak for almost 20 years and this song is the first time we’ve committed our voices to tape together. It’s the ‘sadness but sexy’ centerpiece of my new record Drama.”
STREAM/PURCHASE DRAMA
LISTEN TO “CUE THE SYMPHONY”
Drama is further highlighted by the album-opening “Trippin’ on Teardrops,” joined by an official music video filmed on location in a historic turn-of-the-century mansion in Atkins’ home state of New Jersey and streaming now on YouTube following its exclusive premiere via FLOOD. The album also includes such standouts as the anthemic “Singing In The Mirror” and the acclaimed first single, “When the Night Falls,” the latter hailed by Stereogum as “a shimmering, slow-building piece of old-school pop excellence” and joined by an official music video streaming now on YouTube.
WATCH “TRIPPIN’ ON TEARDROPS” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Atkins’ seventh studio album and first all-new full-length release in over six years, Drama also includes such standouts as the anthemic “Singing In The Mirror” and the acclaimed first single, “When the Night Falls,” the latter hailed by Stereogum as “a shimmering, slow-building piece of old-school pop excellence” and joined by an official music video streaming now on YouTube.
LISTEN TO “SINGING IN THE MIRROR”
WATCH “WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
Largely recorded live over four productive days in her current home base of Nashville, TN, with GRAMMY® Award-nominated musician/producer Pat Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense, Robyn Hitchcock), Drama sees Atkins exploring the isolation, separation, and loneliness of a long-distance marriage through her signature fusion of musical genres and intimate lyrical songcraft. The album came together at the behest of her close friend and touring partner Chris Isaak, who signed her to Sun Records as part of his strategic alliance with the historic label as both artist and curator of new projects with his new imprint, Wicked Game Records. Drama spans style and era with smart design and irrepressible buoyancy, from the girl-group rush of “Trippin' On Teardrops” and Memphis soul-styled “For No One” to the James Bond-meets-Stevie Nicks noir of “Danny” and the wonderfully moody duet with Isaak, “Cue The Symphony.”
“I’ve been in love with Nicole’s songs for many years and have always followed her career,” says Chris Isaak. “She and I are so simpatico when it comes to the music that inspires us, and she has a unique way of distilling that into her songwriting. She’s a true craftsman and an incredible singer. When it came time to start the label, she was my first thought. I’m so honored that she’s the label’s first signing, and I love Drama!”
Accompanied by her touring band, guitarist John Paul Keith and drummer Danny Banks, with contributions by Sansone, in-demand drummer Eric Slick (Dr. Dog, Robyn Hitchcock, Brian Fallon), The Texas Gentlemen’s Dan Creamer, and Scottish troubadour Davey Horne, Atkins once again showcases her alchemical ability to transform myriad influences into singular sonic statements, leaning into the deeply personal in her ongoing quest to “write modern songs that could be part of the Great American Songbook.” Through it all, Atkins’s vivid, unabashedly dramatic voice flies far above easy comparison. Neo-classicist, retro-futurist, and transcendental medium – Drama makes it plain that Nicole Atkins somehow remains all of those things while always wholeheartedly following her own muse.
“I'm not trying to rehash or celebrate some bygone era,” Nicole Atkins says. “I'm just taking what I like melodically from the past and channeling it into my songs. I like to make them deeply personal. The question I come back to is – how do I make this sound exactly like me?”
Atkins will celebrate the arrival of Drama with a wide-ranging live schedule, including a fall tour beginning October 9 at Columbus, OH’s Rumba Cafe and then continuing through early December. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.nicoleatkins.com/tour.
NICOLE ATKINS – DRAMA 2026 TOUR
OCTOBER
9 - Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe
10 – Louisville, KY – The Whirling Tiger
11 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI
NOVEMBER
13 – Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall
14 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar
15 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
17 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
18 – Milwaukee, WI – Vivarium
20 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
21 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Blind Pig
22 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
24 – Albany NY – Lark Hall
25 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
27 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar
28 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage
29 – Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall
DECEMBER
1 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
2 – Asheville, NC – Revival Asheville
3 – Nashville, TN – Skinny Dennis
ABOUT NICOLE ATKINS:
Hailed by NPR for “a voice that could melt the heart of a devil and a sense of humor dryer than a drought,” Nicole Atkins has long proven a critically acclaimed international favorite for her vivid vocal power and committed spirit of timeless songcraft. The New Jersey-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter has created a truly unique body of work all her own, spanning her iconic 2007 debut, Neptune City, through 2020’s acclaimed fifth studio album, Italian Ice, the latter of which drew praise for its lyrical warmth, vibrant color, and a tilt-a-whirl variety of musical grooves. A gifted live performer known for what avowed fan Elvis Costello enthusiastically called “some serious singing,” Atkins has spent much of the past two decades traveling the world’s stages as headliner, featured performer, and special guest to a wide array of similarly minded artists spanning Spoon, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Chris Isaak, the Hives, the Avett Brothers, and many more.
ABOUT SUN RECORDS:
Established in 1952 by Sam Phillips, Sun Records is renowned for discovering music legends including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The label moved to Nashville in 1969, where it continued to cultivate acclaimed artists such as Jeannie C. Riley, The Dixie Cups, Linda Martell, and many others. Today, as part of the Sun Label Group under Primary Wave, Sun Records continues to foster musical innovation while honoring its rich legacy, with a frontline roster that includes Ruthie Foster, Robert Randolph, The SteelDrivers, and The Waterboys. Ruthie Foster’s 2025 GRAMMY® win for Mileage marked the first in Sun Records history, followed by Robert Randolph’s 2026 win for Preacher Kids, the label’s second. For more information, visit sunrecords.com.
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Photo Credit: Barbara FG
