Midlake Announces Sixth Studio Album, Share First Single "The Ghouls"

Three years after their last forest excursion, Denton's mythical troubadours are ready to cast another spell.

The mystical folk conjurers of Midlake have emerged from their creative hibernation with news that feels as inevitable as autumn leaves falling: their sixth studio album, A Bridge to Far (not a typo), arrives Nov. 7, accompanied by the haunting first single "The Ghouls."

For a band that's always sounded like they stepped out of an ancient woodland fable, carrying with them the kind of earthy wisdom that could make even the Knights of the Round Table pause their quest to listen, this announcement feels less like news and more like prophecy fulfilled. Midlake's connection to the Dallas-Fort Worth area runs deeper than their harmonies. The band has remained steadfastly tethered to Denton, that college town oasis where indie dreams take root and flourish. Their latest collection was crafted at The Echo Lab in Argyle, just outside Denton's city limits, proving that some of the most transcendent music happens when artists stay close to home.

"Making this record with the band and producer Sam Evian at Echo Lab was a great experience and the perfect match for these songs," says frontman Eric Pulido in a press release. "To just play in the room together and capture an authentic interpretation of songs is a great joy, and on this album we did just that."

This isn't the first time Midlake has caught the attention of pop culture beyond music circles. Eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted a Midlake T-shirt making a cameo in the beloved series Ted Lasso, a fitting nod to a band whose music embodies the same gentle wisdom and understated warmth that made the show so compelling.

The album's cover art tells the story before you even press play: trippy tree imagery filtered through a luminous lens that practically invites you to step into a sonic forest. This visual perfectly captures what Midlake has always done best — creating music that feels simultaneously timeless and immediate, as if Harry Nilsson had wandered into a '60s folk commune deep in the Texas woods.

"The Ghouls," the album's lead single, extends this woodsy DNA while adding subtle psychedelic flourishes that feel like their familiar sound pushed through a tubular filter. The track opens with delicate piano keys before settling into that signature cozy drum beat that makes even the most anxious listener exhale. Pulido's vocals remain refreshingly unadorned, no effects, no artifice, just that old-school warmth that anchors the song's ethereal "oooohs" and contemplative lyrics.

The accompanying music video captures the band's process with beautiful simplicity: stationary cameras document them recording at Echo Lab, lost in their creative flow. There's something deeply satisfying about watching Pulido stand thoughtfully, listening to playback, or seeing band members smile at each other over coffee, completely ego-free and invested in the collective vision.

A Bridge to Far represents Midlake's first collection of new music in three years, following 2022's For the Sake of Bethel Woods. This latest effort features contributions from Grammy Award-nominated Madison Cunningham, Hannah Cohen and Meg Lui, whose vocals add shimmer and nuance to the band's already rich tapestry.

"The reference and inspiration is Midlake," Pulido explains. "This album is less about referencing someone else's sound and more about sounding like us."

The album explores themes of hope, connection and creative renewal, appropriate for a band that emerged from uncertainty about their future only to rediscover their shared purpose. As Pulido notes, "We love one another. It's still a challenge to carve out time with all that's going on in our lives, but when we're able, it's a cherished experience."

Midlake will celebrate their homecoming with Texas dates, including Sept. 27 at Amarillo's Hoodoo Mural Festival and Nov. 15 at Fort Worth's Tulips. The album is available for pre-order now through Midlake Records via Believe.

After two decades of creating music that feels both ancient and eternal, Midlake continues proving that the most profound journeys often lead back home—to the woods, to each other and to the enduring magic of songs that sound like they've always existed.