The Melbourne band follow their Top 10 ARIA return Rae Street with a 70s piano-led studio album, new single and video, and a national tour that now includes Tasmania.
Things Of Stone And Wood have released the new single and official video for “The Final Forest”, the title track from their second album of 2026. The record, also called The Final Forest, lands on 30 October and will be supported by a national album launch tour that now includes three Tasmanian dates in January.
The single captures the classic 1970s studio feel that defines the new album. Singer-songwriter Greg Arnold has described the sound as his “‘Let It Be’ dream”, built around a live piano trio rather than the intimate bedroom-folk approach of the band’s earlier 2026 release, Rae Street.
Rae Street, the group’s first studio album in 23 years, debuted at number 10 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart. That chart return was followed by an almost completely sold-out Original Duo national tour featuring co-founders Greg Arnold and Michael Allen. The Final Forest arrives only seven months later, making 2026 the most productive year the band has had in decades.
Where Rae Street was recorded in a more stripped-back, home-studio style, The Final Forest was approached as a classic piano-led studio album. The core trio is Greg Arnold on piano and vocals, Michael Allen on bass and vocals, and Tony Floyd on drums and vocals. The songs were captured live in the room, with close, era-appropriate harmonies that recall the band’s earliest days singing together in a Melbourne share house.
The album will be available on CD, limited-edition 180-gram green vinyl and all digital formats. Pre-orders are open now.
The tracklisting runs:
The Hills of Johanna
The Final Forest
Open My Eyes
Miles Away
One Day
Wither on the Vine
Take Me Home
For The Lovers
They Disappear
Take To The Skies
The November and January shows will present the music in two complementary ways. The mainland dates feature the full piano-trio band that made the album. Those concerts will also lean into the group’s acoustic roots, with Arnold, Allen and Floyd switching to acoustic guitars, mandolins, accordion, recorder and tambourine. The three Tasmanian shows in mid-January will be presented as Things Of Stone And Wood Acoustic.
The tour will draw from both 2026 albums as well as the band’s established catalogue. Fans can expect to hear newer material alongside long-time favourites such as “Happy Birthday Helen”, “Wildflowers”, “Rock This Boat” and “Share This Wine”.
Things Of Stone And Wood formed in Melbourne nearly 40 years ago. The early 1990s brought national success with the Top 10 single “Happy Birthday Helen”, ARIA and APRA awards, international touring and a gold album in The Yearning. After periods of hiatus and reunion, the group returned to the studio with Rae Street and has now delivered a second full album in the same calendar year.
The Final Forest continues the conversation the band reopened earlier in 2026. It keeps the familiar warmth and close harmony singing that have defined their work while deliberately stepping into a different sonic room. The single and video offer the first clear listen to that change.
The Final Forest is out 30 October through MGM. The single “The Final Forest” is available now.
Dates:
Tues 3 Nov – Brunswick Ballroom, Melbourne VIC
Fri 13 Nov – Lefty’s Music Hall, Brisbane QLD
Sat 14 Nov – Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra ACT
Sun 15 Nov – Avoca Beach Theatre, Avoca Beach NSW
Thur 19 Nov – Camelot Lounge, Sydney NSW
Fri 20 Nov – Ellington Jazz Club, Perth WA
Sat 21 Nov – Freo Folk Festival, Fremantle WA
Fri 15 Jan – Royal Oak Tavern, Launceston TAS
Sat 16 Jan – Penguin Beer Co, Penguin TAS
Sun 17 Jan – Longley Hotel, Longley TAS
(TOSAW Acoustic for Tas shows)
Tickets and details: www.thingsofstoneandwood.com
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