Carly Simon has announced the release of Comes In Waves, her first album of original songs in 18 years. The album will arrive on 14 August and is led by the new single Howl, a track Simon says explores the emotional territory between betrayal and forgiveness. The project was largely written and recorded at her home studio in Martha’s Vineyard and reunites the acclaimed singer-songwriter with family members and longtime collaborators.
The release marks Simon’s first collection of newly written material since 2008’s This Kind Of Love. While she has remained active through archival releases, collaborations and occasional guest appearances, Comes In Waves represents her first substantial return to songwriting and recording in nearly two decades.
For fans of one of the defining singer-songwriters of the 1970s, the announcement carries significance beyond a new release. Simon’s catalogue includes enduring classics such as You’re So Vain, Anticipation and Nobody Does It Better, songs that helped shape the confessional and narrative songwriting style later embraced by generations of artists. The arrival of a new album of original material places Simon among a growing group of veteran artists continuing to create new work rather than relying solely on legacy touring and catalogue projects.
The first single, Howl, offers an early indication of the album’s themes. Co-written with David Spencer, the song examines damaged trust and emotional recovery.
“‘Howl’ lives in that space between betrayal and forgiveness, where anger has to be voiced before it can be released,” Simon said in a statement.
“It’s about letting the frustration out so it doesn’t sit and simmer. The song begins in anger, but it moves toward forgiveness, and speaks to any situation where trust has been broken.”
The album was co-written and produced with Spencer and features contributions from several musicians closely connected to Simon’s career and family. Her son Ben Taylor appears as a singer, musician, producer and songwriter, while daughter Sally Taylor contributes vocals and created the artwork for the Howl single. Longtime collaborators Paul Samwell-Smith and Frank Filipetti are also involved in the project.
Comes In Waves additionally includes one of the final recorded appearances by the late John Forté. Simon maintained a close friendship with the rapper, songwriter and producer, who was known for his work with the Fugees and for a prison sentence that ended with a presidential commutation in 2008. Simon was among those who publicly supported efforts that led to his early release.
The album occupies an important place within Simon’s recording timeline. This Kind Of Love, released in 2008, reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and earned critical praise for its mature songwriting and collaboration with producer Jimmy Webb. A year later, Simon released Never Been Gone, a collection that revisited earlier material through new acoustic recordings while adding only a small amount of fresh content.
Since then, Simon’s output has largely focused on retrospective projects. In 2023 she released the anthology These Are The Good Old Days: The Carly Simon And Jac Holzman Story, celebrating her long relationship with Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman. In 2025 she revisited Coming Around Again through a new collaboration with Alanis Morissette, introducing one of her best-known songs to a younger audience.
Questions remain about whether the album could lead to a return to the stage. Simon has performed only sporadically in recent years, with her last known live appearance taking place in 2018. Ahead of her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022, she indicated that touring was unlikely, citing the physical challenges associated with returning to the road after a serious hip injury.
That reality places greater focus on the recordings themselves. For many listeners, Comes In Waves may represent the most substantial new Carly Simon project they are likely to experience. The album also arrives at a time when veteran artists are increasingly finding audiences for late-career works that reflect experience and perspective rather than commercial trends.
With Howl now available and the full album due in August, Simon is once again adding new chapters to a catalogue that has already secured her place among the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation.
Comes In Waves Tracklisting
01 Howl
02 Maybe I Never Loved You
03 Peaches
04 Love Has No Ending
05 Mother Of Pearl
06 Slowly
07 Four In The Morning
08 The More I Look For You
09 Love The Way I Do
10 The Father Daughter Dance
11 Share The End
12 Do It Anyway
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