Empress Of has announced a new studio album, Dream House, a project born out of the aftermath of the California wildfires that destroyed Lorely Rodriguez’s home. The record — led by the newly released single “Wild Storm” and its post-fire video — maps how the artist turned loss into a creative reset.
How the album emerged
Dream House, due Sept. 18 via Giant Music, grew from material Rodriguez revisited while processing the destruction of her Altadena residence. A song she had written years earlier resurfaced during that period and became the emotional core of the new record.
Rather than a tidy reinvention, Rodriguez describes the work as a recovery: small musical fragments and voice memos coalesced into a larger effort to reclaim purpose after trauma. The project was shaped in collaboration with long-time and newer partners, and keeps the focus on songs rather than spectacle.
Single and video
The lead single, “Wild Storm”, was released today and is accompanied by a video directed by Mitch deQuilettes, shot in the aftermath of the fires. The visuals intentionally document the tangible consequences of the blaze, aligning the record’s themes of displacement and rebuilding with concrete images.
| Artist | Empress Of (Lorely Rodriguez) |
|---|---|
| Album | Dream House |
| Release date | Sept. 18 (via Giant Music) |
| Lead single | “Wild Storm” — video directed by Mitch deQuilettes |
| Collaborators | Cecile Believe (extensive collaboration); Blood Orange (guest feature) |
| Album preview show | Sept. 30 — Music Hall of Williamsburg, New York |
For listeners, the record promises a close look at an artist confronting personal catastrophe while maintaining a pop-leaning sonic palette. Rodriguez has said the creative process involved returning to small musical ideas — a piano memo that lit the initial spark — and using those fragments to rebuild a body of work.
- Immediate relevance: The album is a direct response to a recent, tangible event — the Altadena fires — making its themes timely for audiences tracking wildfire recovery and climate-linked cultural responses.
- What to expect: Intimate production, collaborative touches from electronic-pop figures, and lyrics that explore loss, memory, and reconstruction.
- Live plans: A release performance in New York at the end of September offers an early chance to hear the material in full.
Listeners and critics will be looking to see how Rodriguez translates personal upheaval into art — whether Dream House reads as a quiet reckoning, a pop-forward rebound, or a hybrid of both. The presence of collaborators like Cecile Believe and a guest turn from Blood Orange suggests a textured album that balances introspection with experimental pop sensibilities.
“Wild Storm” and the Dream House rollout are available now through official streaming and ticket channels; the album arrives in mid-September. Expect more visuals and live dates as the release approaches.
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Hello, I’m Atlas. I explore the latest musical releases for you and guide you to your next sonic favorites.