iOTA will release Hours Disappear on September 25, marking his first new studio album in a decade and launching a run of Australian acoustic performances later this year.
by Paul Cashmere
Australian singer-songwriter, actor and performer iOTA will release his first studio album in a decade, Hours Disappear, on September 25, 2026, with the self-produced collection pairing acoustic reworkings of established songs with new material. The album will be issued through MGM Distribution on vinyl, CD and digital platforms, with the double A-side single Home Song / Bitter Wine rout now.
The new album represents a return to recorded music for an artist whose career has developed across music, theatre and film. While iOTA has remained active as a performer, his last studio album, Wolf Number Nine, was released in 2016.
Hours Disappear is built around a deliberately stripped-back approach. Among the previously known songs revisited for the album are Home Song, Bitter Wine and Come Back For Me, alongside new compositions including Silver Train and Same Three Words.
The first single presents Home Song and Bitter Wine as contrasting examples of iOTA’s songwriting. Home Song explores longing and remembrance, while Bitter Wine takes a darker approach to intimacy. Their release provides the first indication of the acoustic framework underpinning the new album.
For iOTA, the project also reconnects his current work with the songwriting that has remained central to his career since his debut. The forthcoming record follows six studio albums, beginning with The Hip Bone Connection in 1999 and continuing through Big Grandfather in 2001, La Caravana in 2003, Beauty Queen of the Sea in 2006, iOTA in 2015 and Wolf Number Nine in 2016.
The Hip Bone Connection established iOTA as a recording artist and received an ARIA Award nomination for Best Independent Release in 2000. His subsequent records expanded the musical palette, moving between atmospheric songwriting and fuller electric arrangements. By the time of Beauty Queen of the Sea, his work had moved further towards rock.
Music has been only one part of iOTA’s career. His theatre work has included Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Dr Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show and the Fallen Angel in Sydney Dance Company’s Berlin. His original production Smoke & Mirrors earned multiple Helpmann Awards, including recognition for Best Cabaret Performer, Best New Australian Work and Best Original Score.
His screen work has also given him an international profile. iOTA played the Doof Warrior, the guitar-playing performer with a flamethrower guitar, in George Miller’s 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. He also appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and has provided vocals for the animated series Beat Bugs.
In 2019, iOTA entered Eurovision selection with Life, competing in Eurovision: Australia Decides for the opportunity to represent Australia at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. He finished ninth in the Australian selection.
The return to recording therefore comes after a period in which iOTA’s public profile has continued through stage and screen rather than a conventional album cycle. Hours Disappear places the focus back on his songwriting and voice, with the acoustic format providing a direct connection between the new recordings and his earlier catalogue.
The album will be followed by an Australian launch tour, with iOTA performing solo and acoustically across Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. The dates begin in Melbourne in October and continue through December.
Hours Disappear is released September 25, 2026 via MGM Distribution.
Tour Dates
October 16, Melbourne, Brunswick Ballroom
October 22, Sydney, The Vanguard
October 23, Katoomba, Baroque Room
October 30, Kiama, Fillmore’s, 6pm to 8pm
November 13, Adelaide, Trinity Sessions
November 14, Canberra, Smith’s Alternative
December 5, Dangar Island, Dangar Island Bowlo, 7.45pm to 9.15pm
December 6, Newcastle, Flamingos
Ticket Details
Tickets are available at iota.com.au.
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