Gracie Abrams’ next era is beginning to take clearer shape, and according to longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner, Daughter from Hell may represent the most ambitious work the pair have created together. In a lengthy Instagram post shared May 11, Dessner opened up about the making of Abrams’ upcoming third studio album, calling it “absolutely the most moving and powerful work we have done together.”
The producer, best known for his work with Taylor Swift and The National, has become one of the defining creative forces behind Abrams’ rise over the past six years. Their partnership dates back to 2020, but Dessner’s new statement reveals that work on Daughter from Hell actually began nearly two years ago during sessions at Electric Lady Studios in New York.
“We started on the same day that we recorded ‘That’s So True’ and ‘I Told You Things,’” Dessner wrote, adding that several songs from the upcoming album were created during those early sessions. From there, the pair continued developing the record across Long Pond Studio, London, and additional sessions back at Electric Lady. Beyond praising Abrams’ songwriting growth, he also hinted that additional collaborators will be revealed soon, writing: “We will share more details soon on all the dear friends who helped us along the way.”
His comments strongly suggest Daughter from Hell will push Abrams further sonically than previous projects. Dessner described the album as an expansion of their “musical vocabulary,” teasing “uncharted waters sonically” while specifically highlighting the evolution of Abrams’ writing. “Most of all,” he wrote, “the sharpening and deepening of Gracie’s lyricism and expression” continued to astonish him throughout the process.
The timing of the post arrives just hours after Abrams officially announced Daughter from Hell, confirming the album’s July 17 release date, while the lead single “Hit the Wall” arrives Thursday night, May 14 at 9 p.m. PST. Abrams first teased the record throughout early 2026 through cryptic “DFH” references, studio snippets, and behind-the-scenes photos with collaborators including Dessner and Bella Blasko.
Momentum surrounding the album has accelerated rapidly following Abrams’ commercial breakthrough with The Secret of Us in 2024. That project debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and produced some of the biggest songs of her career, including “Risk,” “Close to You,” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” Since then, Abrams has steadily hinted that her next body of work would move into darker emotional territory.
Photo: Aaron Dessner/Instagram
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