Iron & Wine have announced a new album, Hen’s Teeth, set for release on February 27 via Sub Pop. The record is introduced by its lead single, “In Your Ocean,” a quiet, emotionally charged track that leans into the intimacy Sam Beam has spent two decades refining.
“In Your Ocean” centers on devotion taken to its furthest emotional edge. Over gentle instrumentation, Beam sings of love as surrender, captured in the line, “Praying for dry ground / Though I only want to drown / When I find myself swimming in your ocean.” The song’s softness feels intentional, allowing the lyrics to carry the weight rather than any dramatic arrangement. A video directed by Spencer Kelly accompanies the release, reinforcing the song’s reflective tone.
Hen’s Teeth follows 2024’s Light Verse, which earned Iron & Wine a Grammy nomination and marked a renewed creative focus for Beam. The new album has been described as a companion piece to that record, expanding on its themes while moving into more personal territory. Produced by Dave Way, the project also introduces a meaningful first: Beam’s daughter Arden contributes vocals across several tracks, including “Roses,” “Singing Saw,” “Defiance, Ohio,” and “Grace Notes.”
Beam has spoken about the symbolism behind the album’s title, explaining, “To me it suggests the impossible. Hen’s teeth do not exist. And that’s what this record felt like: a gift that shouldn’t be there but it is. An impossible thing but it’s real.” That idea of rarity and gratitude appears woven throughout the album’s framing.
The record also features collaborations with Grammy-winning trio I’m With Her on “Robin’s Egg” and “Wait Up.” Iron & Wine have confirmed UK shows later in 2026, with details expected soon.
