Article Contributed by Sacks and Company
Published on 2026-05-15
Photo: Courtesy of Lynn Goldsmith
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton today unveils Carry the Light, his first album of all-new material in 16 years, via UMe. Co-written and produced with his son Julian Frampton, the collection features guest appearances from Sheryl Crow, Bill Evans, H.E.R., Tom Morello, Graham Nash, and Benmont Tench.
“The Carry the Light album is the first new music from me in 16 years. It was one of my most enjoyable projects ever. I got to work with my son Julian—writing and producing together. A first of many for us I’m sure,” Frampton said.
For Frampton, Carry the Light is a reflection of the present, rooted in the challenges, changes, and connections that have defined recent years. The title itself is a statement of purpose; to Frampton, the light represents wisdom, something to be carried forward. At its core, the album is a deeply personal document, one that Frampton credits in large part to the experience of making it alongside his son.
“This may be the best album Peter’s ever made,” said engineer and co-producer Chuck Ainlay, known for his work with Mark Knopfler, Miranda Lambert, and George Strait. “The songs are just so poignant, and his voice has matured in a way that really delivers what he's trying to get across.”
Frampton is surrounded on Carry The Light by an all-star supporting cast: Sheryl Crow is Frampton’s vocal foil on “Breaking the Mold,” Bill Evans adds saxophone to both “Can You Take Me There” and “Tinderbox,” H.E.R. trades guitar lines on the instrumental “Islamorada,” Tom Morello brings his signature intensity to the protest song “Lions at the Gate,” Graham Nash lends harmonies to “I’m Sorry Elle,” and Benmont Tench contributes keyboards to “Buried Treasure.” Everyone asked to participate in Carry the Light gladly heeded the call to lend their support and create new material with an artist who’s been dispersing endless goodwill and great music across the globe for more than six decades and counting.
Ahead of the album, Frampton shared singles “Buried Treasure” and “Lions at the Gate” to critical acclaim from Brooklyn Vegan, Ultimate Classic Rock, Music Connection, and more. The latter is a protest song featuring Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, whose signature guitar work fuels its challenge to the ultra-powerful, with son Julian Frampton also contributing vocals. “Buried Treasure” pays homage to Tom Petty’s long-running SiriusXM radio show of the same name, with the verses’ lyrics drawn entirely from Petty’s song titles and keyboardist Benmont Tench adding his signature touch to the tribute.
Carry The Light is available in a variety of formats, including CD, 180-gram yellow vinyl, and digitally in stereo, hi-res audio, and immersive Dolby Atmos®. A limited-edition vinyl, with a premium cover design and numbered edition, is sold exclusively via Peter Frampton’s official store, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl.
Earlier this year, Peter celebrated the 50th anniversary of his iconic album Frampton Comes Alive! Upon its original release in 1976, Frampton Comes Alive! became a cultural phenomenon and remains one of the top-selling live albums of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold worldwide. In honor of the milestone, Peter released a Vinylphyle edition of the landmark album via A&M/UMe.
The limited Vinylphyle double LP pressing is sourced from the original 1975 Doug Sax 1/4" production master, with lacquers cut by Joe Nino-Hernes, and pressed on 180g black vinyl at RTI. The package features a four-panel insert including a new interview with Frampton and Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop.
Over the course of a career spanning more than six decades, Peter Frampton has established himself as one of the most legendary guitarists in rock history. He launched his career in the mid-1960s with the British band The Herd and co-founded Humble Pie by the end of the ’60s—one of the first rock supergroups of the era—whose ferocious live sound and hard-driving rock would prove enormously influential.
The recognition has matched the artistry. In 2007, Frampton won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Fingerprints. He was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the Les Paul Innovation Award in 2019. In 2020, he was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and published his autobiography Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir, which debuted on The New York Times bestsellers list.
In 2023, he launched Frampton@50 on Intervention Records—a numbered limited-edition vinyl box set of his key 1972–1975 albums: Wind of Change, Frampton's Camel, and Frampton—and released his historic Royal Albert Hall performance as a live album. In 2024, in addition to receiving the Les Paul Spirit Award, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Peter Frampton — Carry the Light
1. Carry the Light
2. Buried Treasure feat. Benmont Tench
3. I'm Sorry Elle feat. Graham Nash
4. Breaking The Mold feat. Sheryl Crow
5. I Can't Let It Be
6. Lions At The Gate feat. Tom Morello
7. Islamorada feat. H.E.R.
8. Can You Take Me There feat. Bill Evans
9. Tinderbox feat. Bill Evans
10. At The End of The Day
