Julien Baker & Torres Share New Single “Sylvia,” Announce Debut Album

After dropping hints for months and following the release of their first single “Sugar in the Tank,” Julien Baker & TORRES are excited to announce the April 18 release of their debut album Send a Prayer My Way. The album has been in the works since the two played their first show together in 2016 and at the end, one singer turned to the other and said, “You know, we should make a country album.” This is the origin story, the stuff of legend in the world of country music, and the beginning of a collaboration between two artists already admired for their spare, elegant lyrics as well as the courage to share their struggles with those who love their music. It’s also the beginning of creating a work that, like the most enduring country albums, sustains and inspires, reminding both singer and listener that not one of us is ever totally alone in this world and that music is a steady companion. Pre-save Send a Prayer My Way here.

Today Julien Baker & TORRES also share a new single, Syliva. With its yearnful lyrics, goosebump-inducing harmonies, and swelling pedal steel guitar, the new track not only embodies the duo’s love of country music but highlights each of their singular approaches to songwriting and the genre. TORRES says, “The morning I went to pick up my dog Sylvia from an upstate shelter, I was at home making my coffee and I turned on WFMU, and Dolly Parton’s ‘Cracker Jack’ was on. I burst into tears—it felt like the universe was telling me she was going to be mine (Sylvia was only meant to be a foster). I remember thinking that I’d love to write a song like that, a song that people could feel in their chest within five seconds of turning on the radio, because anyone who has ever had the honor of sharing a home with a beloved pet knows that a pet is family—they’re the best friends you could ever have.”