The Ballroom Thieves Announce New Album ‘Sundust’ (4/12); Release Lead Single “Right On Time”

As acclaimed indie folk band The Ballroom Thieves wrote and recorded their upcoming album, one central question emerged as the theme: “What if we could all just be a little more tender?” The duo – Calin Peters (vocals, cello, bass) and Martin Earley (vocals, guitar) – started to ponder what they could do to be more self-aware of their mental health and of those around them in a world oversaturated by social media, pop-culture, and digital consumption. The result is a lush, 10-track collection of thoughts on the human experience called Sundust, out April 12. “This group of songs is a self-portrait of our intertwined lives,” shares Peters.

For the recording of Sundust the band made a conscious decision to forgo the traditional studio environment (a slight departure from previous projects), choosing instead to work from their makeshift studio at home in Mid-coast Maine. With the help of co-producer Dan Cardinal and drummer Cody Iwasiuk, the resulting sounds reflect the remote coziness of the location, from the sparse, cushy drum and bass groove in album opener “Everything is Everything,” to the interplay between Peters’ crystalline vocal and blooming cello in the steady build of “Casual,” to the pair’s signature vocal harmonies atop a lithely finger-picked acoustic guitar and a haunting pedal steel that weaves itself effortlessly into “Tender,” to the buzzing, lively organ pulsing through the album’s lead single, “Right on Time,” out today.

Listen To “Right On Time” Here

The duo wrote “Right On Time” when Earley began reminiscing about a childhood memory from middle school. Earley shares, “My dad built a little woodshed in the front yard. My best friend and I decided it would be necessary to christen it by sleeping in a poorly constructed tarp tent on its roof. It was freezing at night and hot in the morning, and the combination of an angled roof and rough shingles made for a deeply uncomfortable bed. We slept out there for a whole week and I still remember our parents shaking their heads in confusion like it was yesterday. But it wasn’t yesterday. It was years and years ago and somehow life just keeps rolling by, and that’s what ‘Right on Time’ is about.”

Sundust is about self-awareness, breaking down walls that trauma creates, and healing from harshness, but it’s also about finding the glimmers, the striking beauty of being a person, and a longing for connection with healthy people. “We would often find ourselves in deep, meaningful conversations with the talented friends we were creating with, swapping similar stories of cycle breaking and our growing compassion for ourselves and others. It seems like a lot of us are trying to heal, and it’s inspiring to make art with people who are really doing the work,” share Earley and Peters. 

To celebrate the release of their album announcement and “Right On Time,” The Ballroom Thieves are kicking off a U.S. tour supporting Sarah Jarosz. They’ll be making stops at World Café Live in Philadelphia, Bowery Ballroom in NY, The Crocodile in Seattle, The Troubadour in Los Angeles and more. Full dates are below.

“Right On Time” is available on all digital retailers; click HERE.

SUNDUST