Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on February 13, 2026
Transatlantic duo Sons of Town Hall has announced the long-awaited release of their sophomore album, Of Ghosts and Gods, due out March 6.
Nearly a decade ago in a London pub, acclaimed singer-songwriters Ben Parker (Ben & Jason) and David Berkeley dreamt up this unusually beguiling project, resulting in an explosion of imagination, irreverent humor, and a bewitching vocal blend. The new album showcases Parker and Berkeley at their creative and musical peak. Part folk record, part storytelling adventure, it evokes Tom Waits-like lyricism and Everly Brothers-style harmonies.
Of Ghosts and Gods takes listeners on a story-driven reverie and a sonically stunning journey — from atmospheric strings arranged by Will Robertson to horns played by Jordan Katz (De La Soul, Father John Misty, Macy Gray) and the imaginative textures of percussionist and drummer Mathias Kunzli (Regina Spektor).
Sons of Town Hall have crafted an elaborate fictional world to frame the album. Within it are two characters — Josiah Chester Jones (Berkeley) and George Ulysses Brown (Parker) — who travel the globe together on a self-built mythical raft. Dressed in Victorian-era outfits and armed with beautifully aged Gibson guitars, their live performances are immersive theatrical events combining music, humor, and storytelling — a bit like if Monty Python sang like Simon & Garfunkel.
“The costumes, in the end, somehow enable us to be more ourselves,” Parker explains. Berkeley adds, “We are characters in a fiction we’ve dreamed up and re-create with our audiences every night. Given the woes of today’s world, it feels more important than ever to collectively imagine something better.”
“Seamless vocal harmonies, stories of sea voyages, betrayal and desolation.” – The Observer
“One for the dreamers.” – NPR
“Amazing…Equal parts care and craftsmanship, joy and sorrow, it is a splendour to behold…. They simply exist on a different plane than everyone else, as does their album.” – Folk Radio UK
Expanding the album’s universe, the duo has launched the Madmen Cross the Water podcast. Hosted by fictional superfan and self-appointed band archivist Elias B. Worthington (played by British actor Oliver Maltman), the first season explores the adventures behind the songs. Harkening back to classic radio theatre, the podcast is a globe-spanning travelogue featuring sound effects, an original score, and a script that is both hilarious and heartfelt. Listen at SonsOfTownHall.com.
18 February – SIRENS
4 March – ANTARCTICA
1. Gods
2. How to Build a Boat
3. Wild Winds
4. The Lion’s Paw
5. Whalebone
6. The Rocky Shores of England
7. Sirens – Release 18 Feb
8. Antarctica – Release 4 March
9. New Orleans
10. Mutiny
11. In My Arms Once More
12. Ghosts (Instrumental)
Sons of Town Hall is currently on a U.S. release tour and will return to England for a run of dates in June. Full tour information is available at their website.
Feb 18 – Eddie’s Attic – Decatur, GA
Feb 20 – The Green Room @ Crosstown Arts – Memphis, TN
Feb 22 – The Mansion at Strathmore – North Bethesda, MD
Feb 24 – City Winery’s City Vineyard – New York, NY
Feb 25 – The Kate – Old Saybrook, CT
Feb 26 – BNH Stage at The Colonial Theatre – Concord, NH
Feb 27 – Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center – Stowe, VT
Feb 28 – Studio9 at The Porches – North Adams, MA
Mar 1 – Peabody Essex Museum – Salem, MA
Mar 3 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA
Mar 4 – The Music Hall Lounge – Portsmouth, NH
Mar 7 – Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV
Mar 8 – Mountain Stage – Charleston, WV
June 11 – Caroline Street Social Club – Shipley
June 14 – Kirkby Stephen Sports & Social Club – Kirkby Stephen
June 16 – Arts Hub – Ripon
June 17 – Greystones – Sheffield
June 18 – Islington Assembly Hall – London (w/ Police Dog Hogan)
June 20 – The Tolmen Centre – Constantine
SonsOfTownHall.com Instagram @sonsoftownhall Facebook @sonsoftownhall TikTok @sonsoftownhall
