I needed to raise the bar higher than I had before as a songwriter, and I went on to write about anxiety, love, heartache, and the grief I experienced from the passing of my mother in 2024.”— Katie Cole
Katie Cole drops her eagerly awaited second studio record “Forest,” a ten‑song journey through growth, grief, love, and loss, set for release on September 24, 2026, through “independent release”.
Produced over a two‑year period in Nashville, mainly at Blackbird Studios, ‘Forest’ expands the stylistic range of Cole’s earlier material, blending rich orchestral textures with her characteristic narrative approach. The record documents the period following the COVID lockdown, exploring the sudden starts and stops that emerged across career, relationships, and personal endeavors. Katie Cole navigates this emotional terrain, reflecting her peaks and valleys in every track.
Cole collaborated with Grammy‑winning producer Howard Willing and string arranger Tim Lauer to craft an album that skillfully merges folk and Americana narratives with lush arrangements of strings, brass, and woodwinds. Notable highlights include the opening track “Always Do,” which sets the mood for the uncertainties of love, and “Love is a Liar,” which offers an optimistic message following the death of Katie’s mother.
Since the release of ‘Rivers & Roads’, Katie has maintained an active creative output, continuing to tour with The Smashing Pumpkins—including a stadium run that played large venues like Wrigley Field. Her contributions to the band include serving as background vocal arranger on four of their albums. More recently, Cole shifted to touring with a full orchestra performing music from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit across Europe and North America, with plans to continue into the winter of 2026/ ’27. She has also earned accolades such as “Best Singer‑songwriter” from the Nashville Scene’s ‘Best of Nashville’ awards and a nomination for her track ‘Love is a Liar’ at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards. Katie Cole continues to grow her audience through touring and appearances at major festivals like Namm, and SXSW.
“Making FOREST has been a huge undertaking emotionally and mentally, but wholly worth it. I always dreamed that one day I’d be able to make an album with classic 50’s or 60’s-style orchestration akin to what you’d hear from Bing, Nat “King” Cole, or Dusty Springfield. With the guidance of my producer, Howard, I think that I created songs that truly warranted this type of treatment. I needed to raise the bar higher than I had before as both an artist and as a songwriter, and I went on to write about anxiety, love, heartache, and the grief I experienced from the passing of my mother in 2024. This album really covers a lot of ground."
The singles “Always Do” and “Learning How To Lose” have been played on radio stations throughout North America, while the music video for “Saturn” recently earned praise from Bluegrass Situation, which described it as “The new single is tantalizingly rootsy with folk and Americana instrumentation and lush strings. It’s celestial and dreamy.”
“Forest” drops on September 24th across all streaming services, and vinyl and CD copies can be bought on her website. Katie Cole will promote the album with several live events, including a television spot on “Today in Nashville” on WSMV on September 11 and a live radio broadcast on November 6th at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, Tennessee, supported by WMOT 89.5FM Nashville. More tour dates to be announced.
Track listing:
1. Always Do
2. Little Too Late
3. I Can Close My Eyes
4. Learning How To Lose
5. Love Is A Liar
6. Forest
7. Somewhere I’ve Never Been
8. Blue
9. Saturn
10. You Can Never Go Home Again
Pre‑order / Stream: https://ffm.to/pjadljw
Official site: https://katiecoleofficial.com
Stream on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1vpTdaHsUE4PODOzNDUDgm?si=mmvrCBIMSD6
