Heather Nova announces her new album ‘The Orchard’
Heather Nova will release her thirteenth studio album, ‘The Orchard’, in October 2026 via V2 Records. It is the follow-up to her successful ‘Breath And Air’, released early last year, which received a unanimously positive reception. The title track is also the first single, and is available to listen to from today.
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Since her breakthrough in the early 1990s with the hit ‘Walk This World’ (from the album ‘Oyster’), Nova has been consistently writing, recording and touring. ‘The Orchard’ adds a bright new chapter to her now extensive body of work. The album is strong on melodies and rich in poetic imagery. The songs delve deep emotionally, but the prevailing feeling is one of hope, light and possibility — exactly what many listeners need in these turbulent times.
During the writing process, Nova realized that songs can be a form of manifestation: words sung on repeat while recording and performing take on a power much like mantras or prayers. “I wanted to be conscious of this as I wrote; Still mining the depths of emotion, as that is the job of the songwriter, but also being sure to tap into the light, and keeping in mind that whatever we do on repeat we embody”.
The title track, released today, immediately sets the tone, with poetic, nostalgic and luminous imagery; It’s a reflection on youthful innocence and wonder, and the idea that the vulnerability and joy we once felt is still alive within us, held in our cells. Through life’s heartbreaks and disappointments we build protection and harden ourselves. But what if the sweetness is all still there, waiting to be uncovered? “Time is nothing to that sunlit heart.”
The album was recorded last winter in London with producer Tim Bran. Nova chose Bran for his sensitivity to the emotion of a song, and his ability to create authentic, natural yet contemporary productions, work she admires in his projects with Haevn and London Grammar. Bran produced and mixed the record and played bass, electric guitar, and keyboards. “Working with him was so effortless - we were on the exact same wavelength, and everything just flowed between us during our intensive 6 week session”
