JOSEPH Announces New Album ‘Closer To Happy’ + Shares Single “Ready To Let You Down”

September 17, 2025 BY Emma Orland

Today, indie-pop duo JOSEPH, sisters Natalie and Meegan Closner, announce their new album Closer To Happy, out January 30, 2026 via Nettwerk. It marks their first full-length release since the departure of sister and co-founder Allison Closner, and captures a period of profound upheaval, loss, and transformation — resulting in their boldest and most vulnerable work to date.

They share the news alongside their new single “Ready To Let You Down” — an emotionally charged and unapologetic anthem about the freedom of embracing imperfection. Listen to “Ready To Let You Down” HERE.

“‘Ready To Let You Down’ is about learning to stop abandoning myself in order to make other people comfortable,” Natalie shares. “I’ve spent most of my life trying to earn love by being what others needed — but that only led to burnout, depression, and disconnection. Ready To Let You Down is a turning point — it’s me reclaiming my energy and allowing myself to be imperfect, even if that means disappointing someone else.”

Closer to Happy finds Natalie and Meegan co-producing alongside Luke Niccoli (Carly Rae Jepsen, Towa Bird, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness) and bringing a punchy new intensity to their guitar-heavy and harmony-driven sound. The album was initially teased with three previously released singles: the raw and unfiltered “Bye and Bye,” a triumphant collaboration with Becca Mancari called “I Believe In Myself,” and the wistful yet powerful “Looking Back.”

This fall, JOSEPH will set out on a Listening Party Tour: small, intimate pop up shows in small businesses across the country, from book stores and breweries to art galleries, record stores, and more. The shows will be co-hosted by the small business owners and will stop in a few places off the beaten path. All stops are listed below; tickets go on sale this Friday HERE.

“We’ve been lucky enough to play to thousands of people in big rooms and festivals all over the world, but for this next chapter, we wanted to begin the same way we got our start back in 2014, playing intimate house shows – just a few people in a room together,” says Natalie. “In a world when so much human connection is relegated to the internet, the hope is it will be a nourishing IRL communal experience while also promoting local businesses.”

JOSEPH first made waves with their widely lauded 2015 debut I’m Alone, No You’re Not, which featured their breakout hit “White Flag.” They followed it with 2019’s Good Luck, Kid, landing at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and showcasing a bold sonic evolution. Their 2023 album The Sun continued to expand their creative reach, earning praise for its sculpted sound and emotional urgency.

Over the years, the band has toured with James Bay, Amos Lee, and The Shins, and performed at major festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits. With their signature blend of harmony-driven indie pop and deeply personal lyricism, JOSEPH continues to evolve — stepping into their next chapter with fearless vulnerability and radical self-trust.

JOSEPH – Closer To Happy Track Listing

1. Bye and Bye

2. Closer to Me

3. Blindspot

4. Ready To Let You Down

5. Looking Back

6. Morning Forest

7. Water in the Room

8. I Believe in Myself

9. I Can Feel My Own Hands

10. Sleeping With The Light On

11. Chills