St. Paul & The Broken Bones have arrived at a new chapter in their journey, releasing their self-titled sixth studio album St. Paul & The Broken Bones today through their own label Oasis Pizza Records, distributed by Thirty Tigers. The Alabama eight-piece have built a decade-long career as one of the most dynamic modern soul collectives in the United States, and this release marks both a homecoming and a rebirth.
Produced in collaboration with acclaimed British songwriter and producer Eg White, whose work with Adele, Sam Smith and Florence + The Machine has shaped some of pop’s most emotionally resonant songs, the album finds the band rediscovering the joy of pure songcraft. It was recorded at the historic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, a site that helped define American soul music through the work of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Etta James. For frontman Paul Janeway and his bandmates, returning to FAME wasn’t just nostalgic-it was grounding.
“We wanted to make a record that felt like comfort food,” Janeway says. “It’s like sitting at your favourite barbecue joint with people you’ve known forever. It’s not about proving anything anymore-it’s just about the song.”
That sense of ease carries through the new album’s ten tracks, including the playful and infectious new single Ooo-Wee, a swaggering burst of rhythm and brass that recalls the early fire of Half the City (2014).
Tracks such as Fall Moon and I Think You Should Know blend deep soul grooves with the gospel fervour that first put Janeway’s falsetto on the map. Meanwhile, Nothing More Lonely leans into blues-driven grit, and Seagulls captures the breezy storytelling sensibility that has evolved across the band’s more recent works.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones follows the creative experimentation of The Alien Coast (2022) and Angels in Science Fiction (2023). While those albums pushed the group’s sound into psychedelic and cinematic spaces, this new collection reconnects with the warmth and groove that defined their debut. “We had gone as far out as we could,” Janeway reflects. “After all that exploration, we wanted to come home.”
The record also marks a rare reunion of the full original lineup-Janeway, bassist Jesse Phillips, guitarist Browan Lollar, drummer Kevin Leon, keyboardist Al Gamble, trumpeter Allen Branstetter, saxophonist Amari Ansari, and trombonist Chad Fisher. It was Phillips who suggested revisiting the material Janeway had written with Eg White. Initially hesitant, Janeway eventually relented, merging those songs with fresh compositions from the studio sessions. “The philosophy was simple-best song wins,” he says.
The band’s journey has been one of constant reinvention. From their breakthrough single Call Me to high-profile appearances supporting The Rolling Stones and touring with artists like Jason Isbell and Portugal. The Man, St. Paul & The Broken Bones have consistently stretched the boundaries of modern soul. NPR once described them as “one of the nation’s best live bands,” and their shows have become a celebration of raw, communal energy.
This new album reaffirms that energy while showing a matured self-assurance. “We’ve gone through that identity crisis of ‘what is the band now?’” Janeway admits. “This record answers that-it’s about joy, connection, and being ourselves.”
And though Janeway jokes about a possible “death metal record” in the future, St. Paul & The Broken Bones feels like the perfect distillation of everything the band has learned so far. It’s soulful, playful, and deeply human, echoing the Muscle Shoals spirit that first inspired them.
Tracklisting:
Sushi and Coca-Cola
Fall Moon
Ooo-Wee
Sitting In The Corner
I Think You Should Know
Nothing More Lonely
Stars Above
Seagulls
Change a Life
Going Back
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