Squirrel Flower — the project of singer-songwriter Ella Williams — returns with a new studio album due this summer, and a lead single paired with a striking video. The record, out August 21 on Polyvinyl, brings high-profile collaborators and an extended tour that should broaden her audience beyond indie circles.
What’s different on this record
The album, titled Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, features contributions from musicians associated with Horse Jumper of Love, The War on Drugs, Free Range, and Twin Peaks. Those guests suggest a shift toward richer arrangements and a fuller band sound compared with some of her sparser earlier work.
For listeners, that means familiar Squirrel Flower lyrics and melodies set against textured instrumentation: bass and guitar parts that expand the songs’ dynamics, and subtle touches that push songs into rock and dream-pop territory without losing Williams’s intimate voice.
The single and its video
The opening single, “Reelin”, arrives with a short film that follows Williams wandering beneath a vivid rainbow — a visual that frames the song’s themes of return and resistance. In recent comments, Williams says the track grew out of an art piece made from an overdue toll receipt, and that the lyrics explore the constant tug between domestic life and unraveling, the back-and-forth of leaving and being pulled back.
That cyclical feeling—both lyrical and musical—anchors the single: repeated motifs, a steady emotional momentum, and a chorus that simultaneously resists and surrenders. For fans, the video offers a clear, memorable image to pair with the song’s ambivalence.
Tracklist
- Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going
- Cleveland
- Not Me
- Helicopters
- Highway Woman
- Reelin
- Foot Thick Ice
- Sick Tooth
- Fought a Hornet
- Surfing USA
- Weightless, Untethered
Fans who followed 2023’s Tomorrow’s Fire will find continuities in Williams’s songwriting, but the guest lineup and production choices here point to broader sonic ambitions.
Tour dates and where to catch her live
Williams has already mapped out a busy live schedule spanning summer and fall, including headline shows and support slots with artists like The Beths, Spoon, and Ethel Cain. A midsummer Chicago date supporting Ethel Cain is already sold out, and several fall shows pair Squirrel Flower with emerging openers.
- June 16 — Charlotte, NC, The Underground (supporting The Beths)
- June 17 — Carrboro, NC, Cat’s Cradle (supporting The Beths)
- June 18 — Carrboro, NC, Cat’s Cradle (supporting The Beths)
- June 21 — New Haven, CT, College Street Music Hall (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 23 — Philadelphia, PA, The Fillmore (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 24 — Baltimore, MD, Nevermore Music Hall (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 26 — Detroit, MI, The Fillmore (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 27 — Cleveland, OH, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 28 — Columbus, OH, KEMBA Live! (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- June 30 — Newport, KY, MegaCorp Pavilion (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- July 1 — Louisville, KY, Iroquois Amphitheater (supporting Spoon and The Beths)
- August 2 — Chicago, IL, Metro (supporting Ethel Cain) — sold out
- September 23 — Cleveland, OH, Grog Shop (with youbet)
- September 24 — Toronto, ON, Second Summer Festival
- September 25 — Montreal, QC, La Souterraine (POP Montreal Festival)
- September 26 — Boston, MA, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre (with youbet)
- September 27 — Northampton, MA, Iron Horse (with youbet)
- September 29 — Brooklyn, NY, Elsewhere — Rooftop (with Dari Bay)
- September 30 — Philadelphia, PA, Johnny Brenda’s (with Dari Bay)
- October 1 — Washington, DC, Union Stage (with Dari Bay)
- October 2 — Richmond, VA, Richmond Music Hall (with Dari Bay)
- October 3 — Durham, NC, Stanczyk’s (with Dari Bay)
- October 6 — Asheville, NC, Revival (with Dari Bay)
- October 7 — Atlanta, GA, The Earl (with Dari Bay)
- October 8 — Nashville, TN, Third Man Records — Blue Room (with Dari Bay)
- October 10 — Indianapolis, IN, The Turntable (with Dari Bay)
- October 23 — St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway (with Sour Widows)
- October 24 — Lawrence, KS, White Schoolhouse (with Sour Widows)
- October 25 — Fayetteville, AR, George’s Majestic Lounge (with Sour Widows)
- October 27 — Dallas, TX, Ruins (with Sour Widows)
- October 28 — San Antonio, TX, Paper Tiger (with Sour Widows)
- October 29 — Houston, TX, White Oak Music Hall Upstairs (with Sour Widows)
- October 30 — Austin, TX, 29th Street Ballroom (with Sour Widows)
- November 1 — Phoenix, AZ, Valley Bar (with Sour Widows)
- November 3 — Los Angeles, CA, Sid the Cat Auditorium (with Sour Widows)
- November 4 — Ojai, CA, Ojai Deer Lodge (with Sour Widows)
- November 5 — San Francisco, CA, The Chapel (with Sour Widows)
- November 7 — Seattle, WA, Tractor Tavern (with Sour Widows)
- November 8 — Vancouver, BC, Wise Hall (with Sour Widows)
- November 9 — Olympia, WA, Wild Child (with Sour Widows)
- November 11 — Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater (with Sour Widows)
- November 12 — Boise, ID, Neurolux (with Sour Widows)
- November 13 — Salt Lake City, UT, Urban Lounge (with Sour Widows)
- November 15 — Denver, CO, Globe Hall (with Sour Widows)
- November 17 — Omaha, NE, Reverb (with Sour Widows)
- November 18 — Minneapolis, MN, Fine Line Music Cafe (with Sour Widows)
- November 19 — Milwaukee, WI, Cactus Club (with Sour Widows)
- November 20 — Chicago, IL, Thalia Hall (with Sour Widows)
For listeners and concertgoers, this rollout matters because it marks a moment when Williams’s intimate songwriting meets broader production choices and higher-profile touring partners. The arrangements and collaborators make this release a likely entry point for new fans, while the visual for “Reelin” gives existing followers a compact image to carry into the new material.
Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going lands August 21 on Polyvinyl. The video for “Reelin” is available now, and tickets for many dates are on sale through standard ticketing outlets.
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Hello, I’m Atlas. I explore the latest musical releases for you and guide you to your next sonic favorites.