Article Contributed by Pitch Perfect PR
Published on 2026-06-22
Photo: Courtesy of The Jayhawks
The Jayhawks announce their new album, Sanctuary Park, out August 28 via Thirty Tigers, along with the lead single, “Keeping Our Heads Above Water,” and a fall North American tour.
Produced by Bob Ezrin, Sanctuary Park shows why The Jayhawks remain such an important band after more than four decades. They’ve created music that embodies the enduring spirit and soul of classic American songwriting. Song after song, the needle-perfect pop melodies, lush three-part harmonies, and thoughtful lyrics reflect their genre-defying, category-busting style that dates back to the band’s pioneering days in post-punk Minneapolis when they foretold today’s Americana movement. Defying the winds of fashion, the band has always stuck to what it does best: write and perform great songs, whether on stage or in the studio.
For Sanctuary Park, The Jayhawks reunited with the legendary Bob Ezrin, who has worked with Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, and Lou Reed. Ezrin also produced their 2000 album Smile, a “classic,” according to The New York Times. When he heard Gary Louris was seeking a producer, Ezrin immediately signed on and invited the band to his hometown of Toronto to record. “I love their music,” says Ezrin. “There is gentleness and a sweetness to their sound, and I found myself craving a little bit more of that.“
A conscious decision was made to highlight the strengths of the band — Louris’s songwriting, the band’s trademarked three-part harmonies, and the intuitive interplay between Louris, keyboard player Karen Grotberg, drummer Tim O’Reagan, and bassist Marc Perlman — on display on today’s “Keeping Our Heads Above Water.” This interplay only comes with years of playing together, creating their own musical vocabulary. “Get us in a room together and there’s no one better; we have a certain musical magic that happens without even a word or a discussion.” Playing live in the studio made this record what it is: a time, a place, music of the moment.
Listen to “Keeping Our Heads Above Water”
While the album title references an actual location in Dundas, Ontario, Sanctuary Park is also a fictional place where distant memories re-emerge, childhood friends from years prior start speaking again, and teenage lovers start lives that their older selves are determined to renew. In these songs, the hands of time tick past regrets and move toward greater possibilities.
The album has a definite sense of place. Not only was it recorded in Canada with a Canadian producer and Canadian engineers in a Canadian studio, but lyrically there are numerous references specific to Canada. After marrying his wife Stephanie, a born and bred proud Canadian, Louris became a permanent resident, giving him a somewhat unique view and perspective that has contributed to the content of these songs. Ironically, although the band has always had the tag of a true “American” band, in truth there has always been something truly Canadian about their sound.
Sanctuary Park arrives at a momentous time for the band as they celebrate their 40th year. The Jayhawks’ self-titled first record, known to fans as The Bunkhouse Album, was released in 1986. The Jayhawks have played most every major music festival, from Farm Aid to Primavera Sound, Pinkpop to Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky. In the tradition of The Band and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Jayhawks have toured with and served as backup band for many of music’s most acclaimed visionaries, including Ray Davies, Roger McGuinn, and Johnny Cash. The band will be touring throughout the world in the fall of 2026 and spring of 2027 to promote the new album and build upon their already impressive legacy.
Sanctuary Park Tracklist
1. “Keeping Our Heads Above Water”
2. “Kingston Girl”
3. “Mr. Lincoln”
4. “Hands Upon The Wheel”
5. “Leap Of Faith”
6. “American Midnight”
7. “Always And A Day”
8. “Sanctuary Park”
9. “Familiar Strangers”
10. “It'll Be All Right Tonight”
11. “Rowing The Boat”
The Jayhawks Tour Dates
(New Dates in Bold)
July 3 - Maquoketa, IA - Codfish Hollow Barn
July 4 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
July 17 - Bayfield, WI - Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
July 18 - Aitkin, MN - Aitkin County Fairgrounds
August 1 - Boone, NC - Appalachian State University: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts
August 6 - Fort Collins, CO - Washington's
August 7 - Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings Music Pavilion
August 8 - Boulder, CO - Chautauqua Auditorium
October 16 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
October 17 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
October 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
October 21 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theatre
October 22 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
October 23 - New York, NY - The Town Hall
October 24 - Boston, MA - Boch Center - Shubert Theatre
November 11 - Saxapahaw, NC - Haw River Ballroom
November 12 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
November 13 - Nashville, TN - CMA Theater
November 14 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
November 17 - Lexington, KY - Kentucky Theatre
November 18 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
November 19 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre
November 20 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
November 21 - Minneapolis, MN - State Theatre: Minneapolis
December 2 - Vancouver, BC - Hollywood Theatre
December 4 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
December 5 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
December 8 - Grass Valley, CA - The Center for the Arts
December 9 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
December 11 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
December 12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Bellwether
