Eilen Jewell

Raul Malo, the Miami-born vocalist who reshaped modern country and Americana through his work with The Mavericks, has died in Houston at age 60. Malo passed away on 8 December 2025 after a prolonged battle with colon cancer. His death brings to a close a career that spanned more than three decades and produced one of the most distinctive voices in American music.

I'm With Her have released a new three track live EP titled Songs From The Stage: Kansas City, a concise document of the group's 2025 tour and a fresh reminder of the vocal power that has defined the trio since their formation in 2014. The EP captures standout songs from their recently Grammy nominated album Wild And Clear And Blue, including the celebrated single Ancient Light which is nominated for Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song.

Foy Vance has opened a new chapter with the release of his latest single, I Think I Preferred The Question, out now through Rounder Records. The track finds the Northern Ireland-born, Scotland-based songwriter leaning into uncertainty, using that tension as creative fuel. Produced by Brit Award winner Ethan Johns, whose credits span Paul McCartney to Ray LaMontagne, the single reflects Vance's continuing pursuit of candour, truth and human complexity.

Austin's roots-driven Americana rock outfit Uncle Lucius will release a new live album, Live In ‘25, on 21 November 2025. The project documents two sold-out performances at Texas landmark Gruene Hall, a setting that has shaped the band's evolution for close to two decades. The shows yielded a collection that spans the group's catalogue, includes four new songs, and salutes the long history of Texas songwriting.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will return to Australia in February and March 2026 for a second run of their Woodland tour following a completely sold-out stretch earlier this year. After packing the Sydney Opera House across three nights and filling Hamer Hall in Melbourne across five performances, the Americana folk icons will once again bring their acclaimed two-guitar, two-voice format to Australian audiences.

Lucinda Williams is set to deliver one of the most politically charged and emotionally raw albums of her career with World's Gone Wrong, arriving 23 January 2026 through her own Highway 20 Records label. The record continues Williams' lifelong habit of holding up a mirror to American life - this time reflecting on division, resilience and the fight to stay human when the world feels anything but.

As the countdown begins toward what would have been Chuck Berry's 100th birthday in 2026, acclaimed American singer-songwriter Valerie June has released a reimagined version of Berry's pioneering 1955 hit Maybellene to mark the song's 70th anniversary.