“Hurtling towards something new”: Kevin Morby's new record Little Wide Open features Justin Vernon, Katie Gavin, Lucinda Williams, The National and Hand Habits

Recorded across early and late 2025 at Dessner’s Long Pond studio in upstate New York, Little Wide Open follows the Kansas City-born songwriter 2022 record This Is a Photograph, forming what Morby describes as an unintentional trilogy of work - along with 2020’s Sundowner – shaped by his return to middle America. Now primarily based in LA, the new collection of songs marks a shift in atmosphere: "The feeling of restlessly hurtling towards something new,” Morby says, "...a future unseen and untested, but inevitable.”

Morby credits The National's Aaron Desner from pulling him back from over-embellishment in his role as producer: “Aaron did a heroic job of holding me back from throwing too many tricks at the songs, and letting my stories stand a bit naked,” he explains. The result, says Morby, is an album that feels “very wide open”.

“Javelin” centres on the experience of touring and long-distance romance: “A song I wrote about being in love with someone you keep circling around the globe, relentlessly travelling through the air and down highways, and then returning home alone to middle America,” he explains. Sylvan Esso's Amelia Meath was invited to build a choir from layered recordings of her own voice. “Her presence is so special that her ‘backing vocals’ can’t help but take the lead,” he says.The track’s video finds Morby alongside comedian Caleb Hearon, navigating the fields and backroads of Missouri on an ATV, with cameos from Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield and housing justice advocate Tara Raghuveer.

A sizeable cast of contributors feature across the record, including Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Katie Gavin, Lucinda Williams, and members of The National and Hand Habits. Dessner himself plays multiple instruments and novelist Rachel Kushner has contributed an essay titled “Field Guide to the North American Troubadour” to accompany the release.

Morby has also confirmed a lengthy world tour in support of Little Wide Open, with UK dates scheduled for 8 July at The Troxy in London, 9 July the Manchester Ritz, and 10 July at CHALK in Brighton.

Album Title artwork

Little Wide Open tracklist

“Badlands”
“Die Young”
“Javelin”
“All Sinners”
“Natural Disaster”
“100,000”
“Little Wide Open”
“Cowtown”
“Bible Belt”
“I Ride Passenger”
“Junebug”
“Dandelion”
“Field Guide for the Butterflies”