Julien Baker teases new album with mystery account and surprise Nashville show

Julien Baker appears to be moving toward a new solo album. The songwriter launched a brand-new Instagram account, separate from the one she already had, and began posting videos of herself walking into a rehearsal space. None of the clips actually reveal any music — each one cuts off before she plays.

The account itself is the biggest clue. It follows just three profiles: her own, plus longtime collaborators Matthew Gilliam and Calvin Lauber. In the most recent post, Baker also revealed a last-minute show tonight at Nashville's Blue Room, with Kate Teague on the bill.

The activity comes after a long gap in her solo catalog. Little Oblivions, her third album under her own name, arrived in early 2021. In the years since, Baker's profile grew considerably through boygenius, her band with Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus.

Last year she teamed with Torres for the country-leaning collaboration Send A Prayer My Way. The tour built around that record was called off so she could focus on her health. Even so, she kept turning up on other people's projects: she features on Bridgers' new Lost Weekend and on Never Enough: Versions, Turnstile's collection of remixes and covers.

No title, release date or official announcement has surfaced for a fourth solo record. For now, all that exists are the hints Baker has dropped herself and the hastily booked Nashville date, which could double as a first look at new material.