Article Contributed by Its Alive Media
Published on 2026-09-27
Musician, composer, songwriter, producer, radio host and podcaster Ben Vaughn announced today the release of “Rain Songs,” the third single from the Ben Vaughn and Deer Tick collaboration featuring guest vocalist Vanessa Carlton. The track appears on Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions, due via Yep Roc Records, and is available now via all DSPs for streaming and download. A new lyric video is also available on YouTube.
“I love how this song came out,” said Ben Vaughn, reflecting on the creative collaboration with Deer Tick, who added mandolin and “church piano” to the track, and Vanessa Carlton, who lent harmony vocals. “It’s not just a song, it’s like an environment—a safe, comforting environment about a couple waiting out a rainstorm with the radio.”
Additionally, the Ben Vaughn Quintet has confirmed two live dates: Friday, November 20, at Union Transfer supporting Low Cut Connie, and Saturday, November 21, headlining Union Pool in New York. Ben will also be interviewed on TalkShopLive one week from today, on September 30.
The nostalgic first single from Magnetic East, “Imitation Wood Grain,” was released in June, with support from Apple Music’s New in Americana playlist. In July, the driving, upbeat “When Love Returns” landed on DSP editorial lists and was serviced as the album’s radio single, with an immediate add from Ben’s hometown station, WXPN.
Earlier this year, Palmyra’s Trash Pop Shindig on SiriusXM exclusively premiered a fourth track, the unexpectedly ska-flavored “Look What the Cat Dragged In,” as part of her weekly Trash Pop Treasure series, which highlights a selected song as “Tomorrow’s Treasure Today” on Little Steven’s Coolest Songs in the World on SiriusXM’s Underground Garage. This is the only place to hear this new, rockin’ track until the release of Magnetic East on Friday, October 30.
Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions, produced by Vaughn and the band, is set for release next month and features songs written by Ben with new arrangements by Deer Tick. In an unconventional experimental recording approach, it was agreed that multi-instrumentalist Ben would only sing on the record, and Deer Tick would contribute the rest. Ben’s typical contributions as a guitarist, composer, arranger and producer were set aside for the collaborative nature of Magnetic East.
Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions captures the unavoidable pull of Ben’s native East Coast roots in ten genre-bending tracks. The same pull of nostalgia weaves through the memories of a past love in the first single, “Imitation Wood Grain.”
Ben’s newest album arrives during a retrospective of some of his most notable work: the iconic 1996 Ween album 12 Golden Country Greats, which he produced, was released as a deluxe reissue on July 31 via Rhino Records. The expanded edition is now a 3LP/3CD set featuring extensive liner notes from Ben in the new package.
All tracks feature Deer Tick.
Magnetic East marks a new high point in Ben Vaughn’s career. The mutual respect and obsession with music that Ben and Deer Tick share shines on this thoughtfully crafted collaboration.
