Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on December 6, 2025
Photo Credit: Carly Montgomery
Modern-day troubadour John Craigie has announced his much-anticipated new album, I Swam Here, arriving Friday, February 6, 2026, via his own Zabriskie Point Records. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now. I Swam Here is preceded by the first single, “Fire Season,” available now at all streaming services. “Fire Season” was engineered by longtime collaborator Bart Budwig and was one of the first songs written for the project. It was recorded at The Rope Room in Astoria, OR, with Cooper Trail on drums and Nevada Sowle on bass, both of whom returned after working with Craigie on 2022’s Mermaid Salt. It also has Luke Ydstie on bass (Blind Pilot, Michael Hurley) and Jamie Greenan on pedal steel.
LISTEN TO “FIRE SEASON”
PRE-ORDER/PRE-SAVE I SWAM HERE
Craigie’s 10th studio LP and follow-up to 2024’s Pagan Church, his critically acclaimed, chart-topping collaboration with TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, I Swam Here represents another musical step forward for the Portland, OR-based musician. Rooted in place, shaped by collaboration, and guided by Craigie’s steady hand as a songwriter and producer, the album blends the spirit of New Orleans with the stillness of the Pacific Northwest, expertly evincing the patient confidence of an artist who is still exploring his creative limits.
Much of the album was recorded in New Orleans in January 2025, with backing from local musicians handpicked by Sam Doores of The Deslondes, including The Deslondes drummer Howe Pearson, bassist Max Bien Khan, pedal steel guitarist Jonny Campos (Lost Bayou Ramblers), and country folk songwriter Desiree Cannon, with Craigie’s longtime friend and collaborator, singer-songwriter Anna Moss, appearing on almost every track. Three additional songs were recorded a few months later at The Rope Room with a different band, mirroring the aesthetic of the New Orleans sessions. Songs like “Dry Land” and the Marty Robbins-inspired western ballad “Edna Strange” are both intimate and expansive, drawing from the musical history of the Gulf Coast and the natural sounds of Craigie’s beloved Pacific Northwest.
Hailed by Rolling Stone for “his easygoing banter, observational humor, and quirky songs,” Craigie will herald I Swam Here with a typically busy live schedule, including an eagerly awaited pair of hometown headline shows set for this weekend, December 5-6, at Portland, OR’s Revolution Hall. The dates – which see The Coffis Brothers supporting as well as backing up Craigie during much of his set – mark the culmination of Craigie’s seventh Keep It Warm Tour, with $1 from every ticket sold donated to regional non-profits focused on fighting food insecurity.
Additional shows follow through March 2026, including headline dates, festival appearances, and more. Highlights include a two-night collaboration with grassroots favorites Fruition slated for December 12-13 at Denver, CO’s Ogden Theatre, a headline show at New Orleans, LA’s historic Tipitina’s (January 21, 2026), two-night stands at Austin, TX’s State Theatre (January 23-24, 2026) and Basalt, CO’s The Arts Campus At Willits (February 13-14, 2026), and a sure-to-be-memorable festival set at Boise, ID’s Treefort Music Fest (March 25-29, 2026). For complete details and ticket information, please visit johncraigie.com/shows.
JOHN CRAIGIE – ON TOUR 2025-2026
DECEMBER
5 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall *
6 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall *
9 – Durango, CO – Animas City Theatre ‖
12 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre †
13 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre †
JANUARY 2026
14-18 – Todos Santos, Mexico – Tropic of Cancer Music & Arts Festival ^
21 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s ¶
22 – Dallas, TX – The Kessler Theater ‡
23 – Austin, TX – State Theatre ‡
24 – Austin, TX – State Theatre ‡
25 – Houston, TX – The Heights Theater ‡
FEBRUARY 2026
11 – Ridgway, CO – The Sherbino §
12 – Buena Vista, CO – Ivy Ballroom at the Surf Hotel §
13 – Basalt, CO – The Arts Campus At Willits §
14 – Basalt, CO – The Arts Campus At Willits §
15 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Strings Music Pavilion §
MARCH 2026
25-29 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Fest †
* Keep It Warm Tour 2025 w/ Special Guests The Coffis Brothers
‖ w/ Special Guest Julianne Marqua
† John Craigie & Fruition (Feat. The Coffis Brothers)
^ Festival Appearance
¶ w/ Special Guest Anna Moss
‡ w/ Special Guest Olive Klug
§ w/ Special Guest Jobi Riccio
