Carly Simon will release “Comes in Waves” on August 14, a 12-track collection of newly written material that marks the singer-songwriter’s first album of original songs since 2008’s “This Kind of Love” and her 24th studio album across a career that began with a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1971.
Key Takeaways
- “Comes in Waves” arrives August 14 via Iris Records/C’EST Music, ending an 18-year gap between original studio projects for one of American popular music’s most recognized singer-songwriters.
- The 12-track album was written and recorded primarily at Simon’s home studio on Martha’s Vineyard, with her son Ben Taylor contributing as a singer, musician, producer, and songwriter throughout the project.
- The lead single “Howl,” co-written and produced with David Spencer, was released June 11 alongside the album announcement and is currently streaming on all platforms.
- The album features a posthumous contribution from John Forté, the hip-hop artist and producer who passed away earlier this year and had been a longtime collaborator and friend of the Simon family.
- Simon disclosed a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in a public statement on July 27, adding personal context to the album’s arrival and her decision to release new music after nearly two decades away from original recording.
The Album Was Built at Home on Martha’s Vineyard With a Close Creative Circle
“Comes in Waves” was not recorded in a commercial studio. Simon wrote and tracked the album at her home on Martha’s Vineyard, the Massachusetts island community where she has lived for decades and that has served as a recurring creative backdrop throughout her career. The setting is reflected in the album’s press materials, which describe the project as “a body of work that feels both deeply personal and quietly expansive.” The home-studio approach gave Simon control over pacing and environment, a factor that takes on additional significance given her public disclosure of a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
The production circle was deliberately small and personal. Ben Taylor, Simon’s son with singer-songwriter James Taylor, contributed vocals, instrumentation, production, and songwriting across multiple tracks. Simon’s daughter Sally Taylor provided photography for the album’s visual materials. David Spencer co-wrote and produced the lead single “Howl” and contributed to additional tracks. The late John Forté, a hip-hop artist and producer who was part of the Fugees’ extended circle and had become a close friend and collaborator of the Simon family, appears on the album posthumously following his death earlier in 2026.
“Howl” Introduced the Album With a Song About Anger and Forgiveness
Simon and her team chose “Howl” as the lead single, releasing it on June 11 simultaneously with the album announcement. The track was co-written with David Spencer and produced by Spencer in collaboration with the broader album team. Simon described the song’s emotional territory in a statement accompanying the release, framing it as a composition that occupies the space between betrayal and forgiveness, where frustration has to be expressed before it can be released. A lyric video was published alongside the single to support the initial streaming push.
The choice to lead with a song built around confrontation and emotional reckoning rather than nostalgia signals the album’s overall posture. Press materials from the album announcement describe “Comes in Waves” as anchored not in retrospection but in clarity, with Simon revisiting themes that have defined her six-decade catalog, including love, memory, family, self-reckoning, and forgiveness, while allowing space for contradiction, ambiguity, and emotional evolution. Early listener responses to the advance release have described the album as free of filler tracks, with consistent melodic strength across all 12 songs.
Simon’s Public Health Disclosure Adds Context to the Album’s Timing
On July 27, less than three weeks before the album’s release, Simon published a statement disclosing that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease following a visit to the Mayo Clinic. In the same statement, she revealed that she had recently undergone surgery to remove skin cancer. Simon described Parkinson’s as a condition that “makes the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life temporarily misplaced the guest list,” and acknowledged that she has continued writing, singing, and working through both diagnoses. She thanked her children, family, caregivers, and medical professionals for their ongoing support.
The disclosure reframed the album’s significance in public conversation. “Comes in Waves” was written, recorded, and prepared for release during a period when Simon was navigating serious health challenges, a context that adds weight to a project that was already notable for ending an 18-year silence on original material. The decision to release the health statement separately from and ahead of the album release, rather than using it as a promotional element tied to the music, was consistent with how Simon has handled personal disclosures throughout her career.
The 18-Year Gap Between Original Albums Was Filled With Archival Work
Simon’s absence from original recording does not mean she has been absent from the music industry. In the years since 2008’s “This Kind of Love,” she released “Never Been Gone” in 2009, an acoustic reinterpretation of earlier songs rather than a collection of new material. In 2023, she released “These Are the Good Old Days: The Carly Simon and Jac Holzman Story,” an anthology that documented her early career and relationship with the Elektra Records founder who signed her. In 2025, she collaborated with Alanis Morissette on a new version of “Coming Around Again,” one of her signature tracks, which reintroduced her voice to a younger streaming audience.
Throughout this period, Simon’s existing catalog has continued to generate revenue through streaming and synchronization licensing. “You’re So Vain” (1972), one of the most discussed songs in pop music history due to the unresolved identity of its subject, remains a perennial streaming performer. “Anticipation” (1971) and “Nobody Does It Better” (1977), the James Bond theme from “The Spy Who Loved Me,” are catalog staples that continue to appear in film, television, and advertising placements. Simon’s Grammy for Best New Artist in 1971 was followed by a career that produced landmark albums including “No Secrets” (1972), “Hotcakes” (1974), “Boys in the Trees” (1978), and “Coming Around Again” (1987).
“Comes in Waves” Arrives in a Concentrated Window for Legacy Artist Releases
The album enters the market alongside a cluster of high-profile releases from artists whose careers span the 1970s through the present. Ann Wilson, the co-founder and lead vocalist of Heart, is releasing “Consecrated Ground,” her second solo collaboration with her band Tripsitter. John Fogerty is reissuing an expanded edition of his multiplatinum 1985 solo album “Centerfield” with newly added live recordings. Prince’s estate is releasing “Timeless,” a 10-track vault album, on August 28. The Rolling Stones’ “Foreign Tongues,” their 25th studio album, arrived in July. The convergence of these releases reflects both the sustained commercial viability of legacy catalogs and a broader trend of veteran artists choosing to create new original work rather than rely solely on reissues, tours, and catalog monetization.
For Simon, the album represents something more specific than a commercial play. She is returning to original songwriting after nearly two decades, working from her home, surrounded by her children and a small circle of collaborators, while managing a health condition she chose to disclose on her own terms. “Comes in Waves” is not positioned as a farewell project or a nostalgia exercise. It is positioned as new work by an artist who decided she had more to say. The 12-track album will be available in physical and digital formats on August 14 through Iris Records and C’EST Music.
FAQs
When Does “Comes in Waves” Come Out?
“Comes in Waves” is set for release on August 14, 2026 through Iris Records/C’EST Music. The lead single “Howl” is already available on streaming platforms. Physical formats include CD and digital distribution.
How Long Has It Been Since Carly Simon Released an Album of New Songs?
Simon’s last album of entirely original material was 2008’s “This Kind of Love,” making “Comes in Waves” her first new songwriting project in 18 years. She released an acoustic reimagining album (“Never Been Gone”) in 2009 and an archival anthology in 2023, but neither consisted of newly written songs.
Who Produced “Comes in Waves”?
The album was produced in collaboration with David Spencer and Simon’s son Ben Taylor, who contributed as a singer, musician, producer, and songwriter. The project was recorded primarily at Simon’s home studio on Martha’s Vineyard.
