Princess Goes, the New York-based trio fronted by actor Michael C. Hall, announced its third studio album on August 12 alongside the release of “French Kiss,” a six-and-a-half-minute single that the band describes as a slow-building track that opens into a cinematic finale. The album, titled 3, is scheduled for an October 30 release and follows the group’s 2023 record Come of Age and its 2021 debut Thanks for Coming. The announcement arrives during a period of parallel visibility for Hall, who has been filming the second season of Dexter: Resurrection for the past four months, creating a rare overlap in which one of television’s most recognizable actors is simultaneously promoting new music and new episodes of a franchise that has defined his screen career for nearly two decades.
Key Takeaways
- Princess Goes announced its third album, titled 3, with an October 30, 2026, release date; the lead single “French Kiss” was released across all major streaming platforms on August 12.
- The band consists of Michael C. Hall (vocals), Matt Katz-Bohen (keyboards, guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums, production); the three met performing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway.
- “French Kiss” runs six and a half minutes, making it one of the band’s longest tracks; an earlier single from the album, “Stranger,” was released previously.
- The album marks Princess Goes’ first collaboration with an outside producer, Brandon Bost, after the band self-produced its first two records in its own studio.
- Princess Goes has released two prior albums and two EPs and has performed more than 100 live shows worldwide since forming.
- The band’s music has appeared in the end credits of both Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, creating a crossover between Hall’s acting and music careers.
A Band That Started After the Curtain Came Down
Princess Goes exists because of Broadway. Michael C. Hall, Matt Katz-Bohen, and Peter Yanowitz met while performing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway, the glam-rock musical that gave Hall one of his most physically transformative stage roles. When the production closed, the three continued making music together, initially as a creative outlet with no commercial expectations.
What emerged was a band that operates in a space between art-rock, electronic textures, and cinematic songwriting. Katz-Bohen, who has served as a touring keyboardist for Blondie, brings a synth-driven sensibility. Yanowitz, a founding member of the Wallflowers and co-founder of Morningwood, contributes percussion and production instincts shaped by decades in New York’s rock and indie scenes. Hall, whose musical background includes a Broadway run as the Emcee in Cabaret and extensive vocal training, fronts the project with a delivery that avoids the pitfalls common to actors who form bands: the vocals serve the songs rather than performing around them.
The band released Thanks for Coming in 2021, followed by Come of Age in 2023, plus two EPs. Over the course of those releases, Princess Goes has logged more than 100 live performances worldwide. The project has maintained a deliberately low profile, operating without the promotional machinery that Hall’s acting career could theoretically command. That under-the-radar positioning has been a consistent choice rather than a limitation.
“French Kiss” and the Shift to an Outside Producer
The most structurally significant change on 3 is the involvement of producer Brandon Bost, marking the first time Princess Goes has worked with an outside producer. The band’s previous two albums were self-produced in its own studio, giving the trio full control over the recording process but also limiting the sonic palette to what the three members could generate and engineer themselves.
“French Kiss,” the album’s lead single, runs six and a half minutes, making it one of the band’s longest tracks. The song builds gradually from a dance-floor rhythm into a sprawling, layered arrangement that opens outward in its final movement. An accompanying visualizer, filmed by Yanowitz with editing and effects by Andy Yanowitz, was released alongside the single on August 12. The track is available across all major streaming platforms.
An earlier single from the album, “Stranger,” was released previously and represents a contrasting approach within the same record. Where “French Kiss” evolved through multiple iterations over an extended development period, “Stranger” arrived in a more complete form from the outset. The difference between the two tracks suggests an album that accommodates both spontaneous composition and extended studio experimentation, a range that the outside production partnership appears to have enabled.
The Dexter Connection and the Question of Crossover
Princess Goes’ music has appeared in two Dexter franchise installments. A track was featured in the end credits of Dexter: New Blood, the 2021-2022 limited series that revived Hall’s role as Dexter Morgan. Another appeared in the end credits of Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, Episode 5. These placements create a direct crossover between Hall’s two creative identities, embedding his band’s output into the audio landscape of the franchise that has defined his public image since the original series premiered in 2006.
The timing of the 3 album announcement adds another layer. Hall has been filming the second season of Dexter: Resurrection for approximately four months, and the album’s October 30 release date falls during the period when Season 2 episodes are expected to be airing. Whether additional Princess Goes tracks will appear in the new season remains unconfirmed, but the precedent has been established across two prior installments.
The relationship between Hall’s acting career and his music raises a broader question about how the music industry processes artists whose primary fame comes from outside music. Actor-led bands occupy an inherently skeptical space in the critical landscape. Audiences and reviewers approach the work with a default assumption that the music exists as a vanity project or a celebrity hobby rather than a serious creative enterprise. Princess Goes has navigated that skepticism by operating on a small scale, building a catalog through consistent releases and live performances rather than leveraging Hall’s television profile to generate attention disproportionate to the music itself.
What the October Release Positions Against
The October 30 release date places 3 in a crowded fall release window. The final quarter of the calendar year is when major labels typically schedule their highest-profile releases, aiming to capture holiday spending and year-end critical attention. For a band operating at Princess Goes’ scale, the timing is less about competing for chart position and more about reaching the audience that has followed the project since 2021.
The absence of announced live plans surrounding the album suggests the band may be constrained by Hall’s filming schedule. Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 production likely limits availability for extended touring, and the band’s history indicates a preference for selective live appearances over sustained road work. How Princess Goes promotes 3 without a traditional tour cycle will test whether the streaming-era model of releasing music into algorithmic discovery can sustain a project whose audience is built on direct connection rather than playlist placement.
The album arrives with the band working with an outside producer for the first time, carrying two prior albums and two EPs worth of established identity, and connected to one of television’s most-watched franchises through end-credits placements that introduce the music to viewers who may never have searched for it independently. Whether that combination translates into expanded audience reach or remains a niche offering for the band’s existing following is the commercial question that 3 will answer when it arrives on October 30.
FAQs
Who are the members of Princess Goes?
Princess Goes is a New York-based trio consisting of Michael C. Hall (vocals), Matt Katz-Bohen (keyboards, guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums, production). The three met while performing in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway and began making music together after the production closed. Katz-Bohen has toured as a keyboardist for Blondie, and Yanowitz was a founding member of the Wallflowers and co-founded Morningwood.
When does the new album come out?
The album, titled 3, is scheduled for release on October 30, 2026. The lead single “French Kiss,” a six-and-a-half-minute track, was released on August 12 across all major streaming platforms. An earlier single, “Stranger,” was also released ahead of the album.
Has Princess Goes’ music appeared in Dexter?
Princess Goes tracks have been featured in the end credits of Dexter: New Blood and in the end credits of Dexter: Resurrection Season 1, Episode 5. The album’s October 30 release coincides with the expected airing period of Dexter: Resurrection Season 2, though it has not been confirmed whether additional tracks from 3 will appear in the new season.
