For nearly a decade, Sadie Dupuis has been celebrated for her literary lyrics, accomplished guitar playing, unwavering advocacy and embodied ethos of empowerment, whether with rock band Speedy Ortiz or the pop-oriented solo project Sad13, which debuted in 2016 with Lizzo co-feature “Basement Queens.” Later that year came Sad13’s debut Slugger, and now, four years later, Dupuis announces its long-awaited follow-up. Haunted Painting, Sad13’s self-produced sophomore album and first for Dupuis’ label Wax Nine (Melkbelly, Johanna Warren), marks Dupuis’ return to artmaking after reconciling with a delayed processing of grief.

Made at a variety of studios across the U.S., including Tiny Telephone in San Francisco and New Monkey Studio in Van Nuys, California, which was built by Elliott Smith in the 2000s, Haunted Painting was made exclusively with women engineers, and features vocal contributions from Helado Negro’s Roberto Lange, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, and Pile’s Rick Maguire. On this record, Sad13 weaves timely societal critiques into rushing hooks and whip-smart wordplay that’s all still a blast, making for one of the most essential releases you’ll hear all year.  “I worked on Haunted Painting throughout 2019, writing, arranging and recording from home, then finishing the songs in studios around the country in between Speedy’s fly-in dates,” says Dupuis. “It’s maximalist, and more true to me and my tastes than any record I’ve done.” Pre-order Haunted Painting now HERE.  

To celebrate the album announcement, Sad13 shares the record’s first single “Ghost (of a Good Time).”  Revisiting her formative DIY years, Dupuis calls the track her “party song about not going out”—an oddball dance anthem for the introverts and anti-nostalgists among us, inspired by a recent Bushwick basement show with a 1 a.m. start-time she would have tolerated a decade ago.