White Denim Announce New Album 13, Their Most Rawest & Personal Record Yet

Photo Credit: Charlie Weinmann

Community and human connection sit at the heart of White Denim’s upcoming album 13, out April 24 via Bella Union. For frontman James Petralli, the record is a deeply personal reflection of where he’s been and what he’s lived through. Staying true to the restless, exploratory spirit the band has carried since forming in Austin, Texas nearly two decades ago, 13 tackles heavy themes like power, inherited trauma, shame, violence, and survival, while also fiercely celebrating family, freedom, and creativity.

Musically, Petralli’s ever-expanding taste shows up in a bold blend of rock, funk, dub-flavored calypso, soul, gritty blues, and bright, sun-soaked pop. You hear that range immediately on the album opener and lead single “(God Created) Lock And Key,” a funky, blues-soaked track that starts with playful myth-making before sliding into something much darker. Petralli describes it as channeling the unsettling energy of artists like Captain Beefheart and Sun Ra, meant to feel raw, jarring, and visceral. The song is both a statement of artistic freedom and a thank-you to the people who’ve stuck with him, marking a shift away from worrying about being “marketable” and toward being fully honest. Sonically, it bursts into motion, collapses, rebuilds, and vanishes, mirroring the anger and frustration Petralli admits he usually keeps buried. For him, the track is a blunt act of release: a way of finally saying, “forget it,” and letting those feelings out.

The record features core members Michael Hunter (keys) and Matt Young (drums, percussion), along with original drummer Josh Block. Guest collaborators include Owen Pallett on strings, Jesse Chandler, Kosta Galanopoulos, and brothers Griffin Goldsmith and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Block’s return underscores how fluid White Denim has become over time, while still honoring its roots. Petralli is clear that he doesn’t consider a project truly “White Denim” unless another founding member plays a meaningful role. Even though he handled much of the writing and arranging, he emphasizes that the whole point of making music, for him, is connection—music is how he’s found belonging and built relationships