Singer songwriter Sean Kiely announced his upcoming record, Long Live The Low, which is being released on October 16, 2026. As he marks the new era of his artistry, Kiely shares the title track of the album ahead of its upcoming release.
Based in Jersey City, New Jersey, Kiely’s sound and artistry are influenced by a variety of genres and backgrounds. As his sound is acoustic at its core, Kiely pulls in his influences from the genres of folk, jazz, and americana, as well as whatever the song asks for. Kiely’s lyrics are patient and precise, as they chase the ordinary moments to conclusions that feel both surprising, yet inevitable.
The nine track record Long Live The Low features an impressive group of collaborating musicians, with individuals from various genres, backgrounds, and collaboration rosters. The record includes Bobby Hawk (Phoebe Bridgers, Bleachers), Chris Morrissey (Norah Jones, Margaret Glaspy), Bill Campbell (Andrew Bird, Kurt Rosenwinkel), and Juno Award winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjoist Kaia Kater. As all of these collaborators take their own musician identities and work with Kiely, his artistry of deep influences and roots of a wide range of genres shine through on this record.
As the title track announces the album on September 1, 2026, it serves as the anthem to the modest, the quiet, and the “real under the biggest lie you ever told.” At the start of making this track, Kiely was unsure where it would fit on the record, overall. After five takes, the track ended up being the centerpiece of the album, as it serves as the namesake of the record.
The title track of the record started as a poem in release to Theodore Roethke’s “Long Live The Weeds,” which itself was a response to Gerard Manley Hopkins “Inversnaid.” As the poems both reflect how nature will, rightly, win against the best-laid human plans, they share a sense of reflection and understanding, that Kiely continues to include in his poem turned song.
Sonically, the track is unique in its collaboration parts, with Chris Morrissey’s bass line being wildly creating and utterly grooving, as it was composed on the spot. Bobby Hawk’s strings “pull the heavens down to the ground level,” as he brings a unique sound to the track.
Sean Kiely’s writing towards the next moment brings a unique component to his artistry, where when the song turns the corner, it pulls you along with it. Whether it is a quiet solo set, or the fuller, more textured arrangements on his records, Sean Kiely effectively represents his individual sound and artistry on this upcoming record.
Long Live The Low is out everywhere on vinyl and streaming on October 16, 2026.
