The musical world of Lambchop in 2026 consists of: vocals, choir, banjo, guitar. That’s all the new album Punching the Clown needs. With this line-up, they’ve created music that lies somewhere between gospel, folk and country. On the one hand, it’s focused and stripped-back. On the other hand, incredibly rich and powerful. And when it came to songwriting, Lambchop kingpin Kurt Wagner was more consistent than ever: he learnt from the best and resolved to give a chance only to songs that could measure up. And so, Punching the Clown in the band’s 33rd year is the new masterpiece of the masterful Lambchop discography. After announcing the record last month with “Weakened,” Lambchop offers “Stella” to the streaming gods, a song about love and friendship, as only Wagner can write it: heart-wrenching, yet without a trace of kitsch. Listen to it wherever you stream music, and pre-order Punching the Clown on CD, LP, or frosted clear Peak Vinyl from the Merge store ahead of its August 21 release date.

Nashville, 2024: Kurt Wagner drove to the gas station; an old song was playing on the car radio that he couldn’t get out of his head. “A simple song,” he says, “a banjo holding a single chord, with a few voices singing along.” A mix of folk, country and gospel. “Breathtaking. Beautiful.” For a few days, Wagner tried to find out what this piece was that had so captivated him. He didn’t succeed. Instead, during his research, he came across a form of music that has long been forgotten, yet continues to exert a major influence on country and folk to this day. Wagner stumbled upon the song form known as “lined-out hymnody,” which originated in British churches in the 19th century, at a time when many people could not yet read. A lead singer, known as a “clerk”, would set a simple melody and lyrics, and the congregation would repeat them. This musical form reached the United States via the settlers and flowed into the great American melting pot from which gospel, country and Appalachian folk music developed. A plan had long since taken shape in Kurt Wagner’s mind: to record a Lambchop album that reflects the spirit of this music and of that mysterious song from the radio.

Punching the Clown is that album.

It is not unusual for Kurt Wagner to have a precise plan in mind before he sets to work. There are many examples of this in Lambchop’s unique discography. In 1997, Wagner named the third album Thriller, hoping that the title alone would multiply sales figures. The Lambchop classic Nixon combined soul and country, Curtis Mayfield and Hank Williams in 2000. Is A Woman, released two years later, was a piano-driven work; with FLOTUS in 2016, Kurt Wagner introduced an autotune effect into the Lambchop universe – for very pragmatic reasons, as he explains: “At the time, the autotune felt like a buddy by my side.” 

Essentially, each of the 16 Lambchop albums released to date has pursued the idea of constantly reinventing the band’s sound based on what had already been created. One might think that after 33 years and with album number 17, there couldn’t be much left to offer. And then comes Punching the Clown: within seconds, you find yourself in a new Lambchop world where everything sounds fresh yet wonderfully familiar. It feels like returning to a favorite place in a dream. 

Lambchop’s first US performance since 2022 will be later this month at Crooners Supper Club in Minneapolis on June 28, the first of a three-date residency at the storied intimate venue. Tickets for all dates of the residency, as well as shows in Chicago, NYC, and Europe, are on sale now. Follow Lambchop on Instagram for more news from the project.

Lambchop on tour:
Jun 28 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Aug 30 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 27 Minneapolis, MN – Crooners Supper Club
Sep 29 Chicago, IL – Maurer Hall @ The Old Town School of Music
Oct 01 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Oct 02 Brooklyn, NY – Public Records
Nov 18 Viseu, PT – Teatro Viriato
Nov 19 Lisbon, PT – Culturgest
Nov 21 Braga, PT – Theatro Circo
Nov 22 Espinho, PT – Auditório de Espinho
Nov 24 Manchester, UK – New Century Hall
Nov 25 Sheffield, UK – Octagon
Nov 26 Gateshead, UK – Sage 2
Nov 27 London, UK – Union Chapel*
Nov 28 London, UK – Union Chapel*
Dec 01 Dudelange, LU – Opderschmelz
Dec 02 Antwerp, BE – Arenberg
Dec 03 Roeselare, BE – De Spil
Feb 07 Oslo, NO – Konserthus
Feb 09 Trondheim, NO – Byscenen
Feb 11 Copenhagen, DK – DR Koncerthuset
Feb 12 Hamburg, DE – Christianskirche
Feb 13 Berlin, DE – Passionkirche
Feb 14 Erlangen, DE – Markgrafentheater
Feb 16 Vienna, AT – Theater Akzent
Feb 17 Budapest, HU – House Of Music
Feb 19 Glasgow, UK – St Lukes
Feb 20 Galway, IE – St Nicholas’ Church
Feb 21 Dublin, IE – The Helix