Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on January 23, 2026
Photo: Courtesy of Bob Sweeney
For years, Tom Hamilton has been the kind of guitarist/songwriter who makes bands feel bigger than the sum of their parts—stretching melodies into the air, then bringing them back down with a hook you can hum on the walk to your car. Now, he’s stepping fully into his own spotlight with I’m Your Vampire, his first full project released under his own name, out now via AWAL/Relix.
Tom Hamilton has built a rich, prolific career fronting projects including Brothers Past, American Babies, and Ghost Light, while also serving as a key musical voice in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy & the Kids. He’s also the host of SiriusXM’s Grateful Dead Channel monthly show Goin’ Down The Road with Tom Hamilton, a deep-dive ride through the Dead multiverse with rotating guests and plenty of curveballs.
The centerpiece of I’m Your Vampire is the single “Kissing With Your Eyes Closed,” a liquid, piano-driven dance that feels equally fresh and familiar—echoing the emotional punch and indie-rock warmth of late-’90s/early-’00s touchstones like Wilco and Broken Social Scene. Co-produced by Hamilton and Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman/Wednesday), the album threads tattered-flannel rock & roll with restless honesty, tracing what it looks like to move through darkness and still find a pinpoint of light.
“‘Kissing With Our Eyes Closed’ was the first completed song for the album, and acted as my north star as we progressed through writing the rest,” Hamilton shares. “The balancing of heavy and lovely sounds, and the dance of kink and romance in the lyrics all acted as a perfect bellwether for what we wrote next.”
Across 10 tracks, Hamilton unspools a personal suite shaped by isolation, change, and the hard-earned decision to finally release music under his own name. “This is how I process the world,” he says. “I live my life for a few years, and then whatever happens, I try to make art out of it.”
Alongside the previously released anthem “Don’t Give Up On Me,” the album also features the wide-open, twang-tinged road-tripper “Walking Backwards.” As Hamilton puts it: “It takes effort to not just be jaded as we age — to not look at the world in a hardened way. Yeah, it’s a dark fucking time, let’s make some lemonade.”
Hamilton hits the road throughout winter and spring with a band featuring bassist Taylor Shell (Turkuaz), keyboardist Tom McKee (Brothers Past), and drummer Nick Paternostro. For tickets and the most up-to-date routing, visit tomhamiltonjr.com.
More info / updates: tomhamiltonjr.com
Vinyl / album info: Relix Shop
Tom Hamilton On Tour
(More Dates To Be Announced Soon)
1/23 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
1/24 – Flat Iron – Greensboro, NC
1/25 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA
1/27 – 5 Points Music Sanctuary – Roanoke, VA
1/28 – Richmond Music Hall – Richmond, VA
1/29 – XL Live – Harrisburg, PA
1/30 – Sultan Room – Brooklyn, NY
1/31 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
2/4 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
2/5 – Pickle Barrel – Killington, VT
2/6 – Broad Brook Opera House – Broad Brook, CT
2/7 – Lark Hall – Albany, NY
3/17 – Winstons Beach Club – San Diego, CA
3/18 – The Wayfarer – Costa Mesa, CA
3/19 – The Venice West – Venice, CA
3/24 – Crystal Bay Club Casino – Crystal Bay, NV
3/27 – Hidden Hall – Seattle, WA
3/31 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT
4/2 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
4/3 – Cervantes Other Side – Denver, CO
4/4 – 10 Mile Music Hall – Frisco, CO
Tom Hamilton — I’m Your Vampire
(AWAL/Relix) — Release Date: January 23, 2026
Tracklist
Don’t Give Up On Me
The Octave Below
Kissing With Your Eyes Closed
Running in Place
Walking Backwards
Wrecking Crew
Daddy Daddy
Haven’t Used My Voice In So Long
This Could Be All Yours
It’s Been a Long Time Coming
