Beloved indie folk project Iron & Wine is set to return with a brand-new studio album titled Hen’s Teeth, arriving worldwide on February 27. Led by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Beam, the release marks a quietly powerful new chapter—one that wasn’t planned, but somehow demanded to exist.
Described as a spiritual companion to 2024’s critically acclaimed Light Verse, the new album stands firmly on its own. While it shares a similar emotional landscape, Hen’s Teeth feels more intimate, more accidental, and perhaps more personal than anything Iron & Wine has released before.
An Album That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
The phrase hen’s teeth famously refers to something that doesn’t exist. For Sam Beam, the title perfectly captures the essence of the record. The songs were written and recorded sporadically over several years during relaxed studio sessions in the hills of Los Angeles, without pressure or expectations.
What emerged from those moments was a complete album—something Beam himself has described as a gift that “shouldn’t be there, but is.”
Familiar Voices, New Depth
Musically, Hen’s Teeth brings together longtime Iron & Wine collaborators, including David Garza, Sebastian Steinberg, Tyler Chester, Griffin Goldsmith, Beth Goodfellow, Kyle Crane, and Paul Cartwright. Their presence gives the album a sense of continuity while allowing each track to breathe in its own way.
Adding a deeply personal layer, the album also features the recording debut of Beam’s daughter Arden Beam, whose backing vocals appear across several songs. Her contributions subtly reshape the emotional tone of the record, lending it warmth and intimacy.
Grammy-winning Americana trio I’m With Her—Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins—appear on two tracks, bringing rich harmonies to the buoyant “Robin’s Egg” and the restrained, melancholic “Wait Up,” a song already being singled out by fans as a future favorite.
Lead Single: “In Your Ocean”
The album’s first single, “In Your Ocean,” showcases Iron & Wine at their most poetic. The song explores emotional closeness to the point of total surrender, using water imagery to blur the lines between devotion and vulnerability.
An official music video, directed by Spencer Kelly, transforms an ordinary domestic struggle into a quietly absurd visual metaphor—perfectly mirroring the song’s emotional push and pull.
Tracklist: Hen’s Teeth
- Roses
- Paper and Stone
- Robin’s Egg (feat. I’m With Her)
- Singing Saw
- In Your Ocean
- Defiance, Ohio
- Wait Up (feat. I’m With Her)
- Grace Notes
- Dates and Dead People
- Half Measures
Global Tour Plans
To support the album, Iron & Wine will embark on an extensive world tour, beginning in late February with dates across Australia and New Zealand, followed by a long North American run through spring. The tour includes theater shows, festival appearances, and multiple-night engagements in major cities.
After a period of relative quiet, Hen’s Teeth positions Iron & Wine for a strong and meaningful return to the global stage.
Why Hen’s Teeth Is Generating Buzz
- A rare, unforced album born from spontaneity
- Deeply personal contributions from family and longtime collaborators
- Appearances by Grammy-winning artists
- A return to the emotional storytelling Iron & Wine fans love
- One of the most anticipated indie folk releases of the year