Who Is the Sky?

From Talking Heads Wiki
Who Is the Sky?
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 5, 2025 (2025-09-05)
GenreArt pop
Length37:33
38:49 (Apple Music version)
LabelMatador
ProducerKid Harpoon
David Byrne chronology
American Utopia
(2018)
Who Is the Sky?
(2025)
Ghost Train Orchestra chronology
Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog
(2023)
Who Is the Sky?
(2025)
Singles from Who Is the Sky?
  1. Everybody Laughs
    Released: June 11, 2025
  2. She Explains Things to Me
    Released: July 16, 2025
  3. The Avant Garde
    Released: August 13, 2025
  4. What Is the Reason for It?
    Released: September 3, 2025

Who Is the Sky? is a studio album by David Byrne, released on September 5, 2025. The album, recorded in 2024, features instrumentation by Ghost Train Orchestra and production by Kid Harpoon.[1] This will be Byrne's first studio album since American Utopia (2018). The album was announced on June 10, 2025 alongside the release of the first single, "Everybody Laughs", and dates for a Who Is the Sky? Tour scheduled from September 2025 to March 2026. The album features contributions from recurring Byrne collaborator St. Vincent as well as Hayley Williams of Paramore, Tom Skinner of The Smile.

Recording

In May 2024, a Rolling Stone interview with Talking Heads ended with a note that Byrne was working on a new studio album. Recording sessions began later the same month at Power Station studios in New York City. The recording sessions included large involvement from Ghost Train Orchestra, who had performed with Byrne (as well as Kronos Quartet and various guests) at The Town Hall covering songs by Moondog in April. Ghost Train Orchestra and its member shared photos and videos from the sessions on social media. A second set of recording sessions took place in September 2024 at the same studio.

Songs

"Moisturizing Thing" explores a story about magic moisturizer making David Byrne look like he's three years old. This song has been performed live twice, in January 2024 and October 2024, and was revealed in a 2023 interview at 92NY.

Coinciding with the announcement of the album and tour, the first single and opening track of the album, "Everybody Laughs", was released on June 10, 2025 with a music video directed by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo.

The second single, "She Explains Things To Me", was performed at two events in May 2025.


Track listing

Apple Music version
No.TitleLength
13."DefCon"1:16
Total length:38:49

Sources

  1. Ghost Train Orchestra. “Instagram.” Www.instagram.com, 26 May 2024, www.instagram.com/p/C7dFlA-gGAr/?img_index=10. Accessed 30 July 2024.