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Who Is the Sky?

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Who Is the Sky?
Studio album by
David Byrne with Ghost Train Orchestra
ReleasedSeptember 5, 2025 (2025-09-05)
GenreArt pop[1]
Length37:33
LabelMatador
ProducerKid Harpoon
David Byrne chronology
American Utopia on Broadway
(2019) 		Who Is the Sky?
(2025)
Ghost Train Orchestra chronology
Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog
(2023) 		Who Is the Sky?
(2025)
Singles from Who Is the Sky?
  1. "Everybody Laughs"
    Released: June 11, 2025
  2. "She Explains Things to Me"
    Released: July 16, 2025

Who Is the Sky? is the upcoming studio album by Scottish-American rock musician David Byrne with the New York City-based musical ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, being the ninth and sixth album respectively.

Recording

[edit]

David Byrne began working on Who is the Sky? in the years following the conclusion of his American Utopia era, which included a successful Broadway run and a Spike Lee-directed HBO special.[2] Reflecting on his creative process, Byrne said, “At my age, at least for me, there’s a ‘don’t give a shit about what people think’ attitude that kicks in. I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I’m doing.” He described each song as “a new adventure,” often beginning with simple acoustic demos and looped beats.[3]

As Byrne accumulated a stockpile of rudimentary songs, he envisioned the emotional core of the material being brought out through orchestral arrangements. “I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,” he explained, citing the desire to balance personal reflection with accessibility. To achieve this, Byrne collaborated with music producer Kid Harpoon, whom he credited with helping convey his unique artistic vision.[1]

The album features contributions from Ghost Train Orchestra, as well as guest appearances by St. Vincent, Hayley Williams of Paramore, and Tom Skinner of The Smile. Speaking about the album's lead single, “Everybody Laughs,” Byrne said, “Someone I know said, ‘David, you use the word “everybody” a lot.’ I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it. Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling.” Kid Harpoon added, “These songs are personal, but with David’s unique perspective on life in general... He gets the absurdity of it all.”[4][5]

Tour

[edit]

Along with the album announcement and first single, David Byrne announced the Who Is the Sky? Tour on June 11, 2025 spread across 2025 and 2026.[6] The 2025 dates are primarily focussed on the US with a three day stop in Canada, whereas the 2026 dates tours Australasia, Europe, and the UK.[4] While Byrne has performed in the US extensively with his residency at St. James Theatre, this is the first time he has performed in Australasia and Europe since his 2018 American Utopia tour.[7] The tour will use 13 musicians, singers, and dancers - some from the American Utopia tour - to achieve a show that "blends visual art, storytelling, and music into one compelling live performance."[7]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by David Byrne.

No.TitleLength
1."Everybody Laughs"3:48
2."When We Are Singing"3:24
3."My Apartment Is My Friend"3:03
4."A Door Called No"2:35
5."What Is the Reason for It?" (featuring Hayley Williams)3:11
6."I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party"3:14
7."Don't Be Like That"3:01
8."The Avant Garde"3:42
9."Moisturizing Thing"2:42
10."I'm an Outsider"3:32
11."She Explains Things to Me"2:19
12."The Truth"3:02
Total length:37:33
Apple Music version
No.TitleArtistLength
13."DefCon"David Byrne1:16
Total length:38:49

Personnel

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Adapted from Tidal.[8]

Musicians

[edit]

Technical

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Release history

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Release history and formats for Who Is the Sky?
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Worldwide September 5, 2025
Matador Records [9][10]
United States
  • Vinyl (Black, Lemon Yellow, Cantaloupe Orange / Strawberry Pink split, and Apple Green (Indie Exclusive))
  • CD
 [11][12][13][14][15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Krueger, Jonah (2025-06-13). "David Byrne Announces First Album in Seven Years, Plots Extensive World Tour". Consequence. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  2. ^ Aswad, Jem (2025-06-10). "David Byrne Announces New Album, 'Who Is the Sky?,' and World Tour". Variety. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  3. ^ Hageman, Mitchell (2025-06-11). "Talking Heads frontman David Byrne returns to NZ for one-off Auckland show in January 2026". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  4. ^ a b Denning, Reagan (2025-06-13). "David Byrne announces upcoming LP, 'Who Is the Sky,' and accompanying tour". MELODIC Magazine. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  5. ^ Taylor, Sam (2025-06-10). "David Byrne has announced his new album 'Who Is the Sky?', featuring St. Vincent, Hayley Williams and more". Dork. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  6. ^ "David Byrne announces Who Is the Sky? Tour". Spotlight Report. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  7. ^ a b Kennedy, Jade (2025-06-10). "David Byrne Announces Australia and New Zealand Return". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  8. ^ David Byrne & Ghost Train Orchestra - Everybody Laughs, 2025-06-10, retrieved 2025-06-15
  9. ^ Who Is the Sky? by David Byrne on Apple Music, 2025-09-05, retrieved 2025-06-16
  10. ^ "Who Is the Sky?, by David Byrne". David Byrne. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  11. ^ "Who Is the Sky? (Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi NZ. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  12. ^ "Who Is the Sky? (Lemon Yellow Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi NZ. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
  13. ^ "David Byrne Announces New Album 'Who Is the Sky?'". RTTNews. 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
  14. ^ "DAVID BYRNE - Who Is the Sky?". Flying Out. 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
  15. ^ "Who Is the Sky?". JB Hi-Fi NZ. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
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