Sara Bareilles Announces First Studio Album in Seven Years, ‘Good Grief,’ to Be Followed by Fall Tour

Sara Bareilles is making a significant return to the music scene with her first major project in several years. The Grammy-nominated artist, celebrated for anthems like "Brave" and "Love Song," is set to release her new studio album, "Good Grief," on August 28. This will be her first full-length record since 2019's "Amidst the Chaos," a period during which she largely stepped away from touring. To promote the album, she has announced a North American theater tour scheduled for September and October, marking her most extensive live performances in nearly five years. The tour will stop at renowned venues, including New York's Radio City Music Hall and the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles—the latter, originally known as the Kodak Theatre, has a storied history as the longtime home of the Academy Awards ceremony. Industry experts suggest this tour could be a career-defining moment, as it re-establishes her connection with fans after a prolonged absence from the road.

The lead single, "Home," is already available on streaming platforms and establishes the emotional core of the project. Bareilles has revealed that the song was sparked by a candid discussion on Anderson Cooper's podcast, which also featured Stephen Colbert and delved into themes of grief and loss. "It feels like an invitation and a tone setter for the specificity and depth of this record," she explained in a press statement. "It just feels really essential right now. In order for us as humans to really know and understand each other, we have to listen to each other's stories." The album's title is deliberately chosen; much of the material was influenced by Bareilles' personal encounters with grief after losing a close friend, combined with her reflections on broader societal anxieties. Describing the creative process, she noted, "This whole collection of songs felt like transmissions rather than a deliberate attempt to make sense of the world. My deepest hope is that 'Good Grief' provides some kind of comfort or catharsis." The announcement coincides with the debut of a documentary, "Sara Bareilles: Good Grief," which premiered Thursday night at New York's Beacon Theatre and was followed by a live performance. A forthcoming interview with Bareilles and director Josh Alexander is expected to appear in Variety. Notably, Bareilles has long been praised for her lyrical vulnerability, and this project appears to deepen that reputation by confronting raw emotional territory.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on September 9 at Boston's MGM Music Hall at Fenway and concludes on October 19 at Seattle's Paramount Theatre. Along the way, Bareilles will perform at mid-sized indoor venues in cities such as Washington, D.C.; Toronto; Philadelphia; Atlanta; Cincinnati; Chicago; Minneapolis; St. Louis; Denver; Austin; Houston; and San Francisco. An artist presale begins Monday at noon local time, with advance sign-up required at sarabmusic.com. Separate presales for Citi cardholders and Verizon customers will follow on Monday and Tuesday. The album was self-produced, with initial recording sessions captured for the documentary at Dreamland Recording Studios in Woodstock, New York. The band included drummer Charley Drayton, guitarist Butterfly Boucher, keyboardist Misty Boyce, bassist Solomon Dorsey, multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose, and co-producer/engineer Jonathan Low. Later, Bareilles collaborated with co-producer Aaron Dessner—widely recognized for his extensive work with The National and Taylor Swift—and engineer Bella Blasko at Long Pond Studios in New York. The album features one previously released track, "Salt Then Sour Then Sweet," a collaboration with Brandi Carlile written for the documentary "Come See Me in the Good Light," which focuses on the late poet Andrea Gibson. Dessner's involvement adds a layer of indie-rock credibility, as his production style has shaped some of the most acclaimed albums of the past decade.

In addition to the music, Bareilles has partnered with two charitable organizations for the tour: the Jed Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention and mental health for teens and young adults, and NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness). The Jed Foundation will receive $1 from every ticket sold, while NAMI will receive 100% of net proceeds from VIP upgrade packages. This philanthropic approach aligns with Bareilles' broader advocacy work in mental health. During her hiatus from touring, she remained active with other creative projects, including a return to the lead role in her musical "Waitress" in 2021, a stint in the original revival cast of "Into the Woods" on Broadway in 2022, and work on a yet-to-be-produced musical based on the novel "The Interestings." The full tour schedule includes: September 9 in Boston, MA at MGM Music Hall at Fenway; September 12 in Washington, D.C. at The Anthem; September 15 in Toronto, ON at Massey Hall; September 18 in New York, NY at Radio City Music Hall; September 21 in Philadelphia, PA at The Met; September 24 in Atlanta, GA at Fox Theatre; September 25 in Cincinnati, OH at Taft Theatre; September 27 in Chicago, IL at Chicago Theatre; September 30 in Minneapolis, MN at Orpheum Theatre; October 2 in St. Louis, MO at Stifel Theatre; October 4 in Denver, CO at Bellco Theatre; October 6 in Austin, TX at Bass Concert Hall; October 7 in Houston, TX at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts; October 12 and 13 in Los Angeles, CA at Dolby Theatre; October 16 in San Francisco, CA at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium; and October 19 in Seattle, WA at The Paramount Theatre. While the full "Good Grief" track list has not been revealed, the album is expected to explore themes of loss, resilience, and hope, with Bareilles emphasizing that the songs emerged organically rather than through deliberate planning.