Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens returns with Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, her seventh studio album, released today through Nonesuch Records.
The 10-track collection was recorded live at The Cypress House in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, during sessions between Giddens’ North American tours in 2024 and 2025. Co-produced with longtime collaborator Dirk Powell, the album brings together musicians from across Giddens’ career, including Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, Congolese guitarist Niwel Tsumbu, bassist Jason Sypher and Giddens’ former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson. Her sister Lalenja Harrington and other family members also contribute.
The album features four original songs written by Giddens and Powell, including the previously released “Carolina Rain” and “Wish in Vain”, which addresses the global refugee crisis. The remaining tracks include interpretations of songs by Ola Belle Reed, Elizabeth Cotten and Pura Fé, alongside traditional material such as “Cluck Old Hen” and “Walk with Me”.
Inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem, the title track reflects the album’s broader focus on community and hope. Giddens describes the recording process as intentionally stripped back, with few overdubs and background conversations between musicians left intact. “Art reaches across generations and continents to be completed, sometimes, by folks who will never meet,” she says.
Hope is The Thing With Feathers is available on CD, digital and 100% recycled vinyl from Nonesuch Records.