Tenille Townes is extending the story of her independent album The Acrobat with a new single, “The Long Haul,” and an expanded edition titled The Acrobat: A Place to Land, arriving November 6. Released October 16, the new track leads a four-song addition that deepens the record’s reflections on love, personal change, and the courage to keep moving forward.
The deluxe edition builds on a project that marked a significant turning point for the Canadian singer-songwriter. Originally released as her first independent album, The Acrobat emerged from a period of personal and professional uncertainty, with Townes taking creative control by writing, performing, producing, and mixing the songs herself in a spare room at home. What began as a collection of simple work tapes ultimately became a deeply personal statement about rebuilding a life and career on her own terms.
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“The Long Haul” explores the persistence required to keep choosing a dream, even when the path ahead remains uncertain. Its arrival introduces the emotional direction of the expanded release, which also features “Wish I Was in Love,” a new recording examining the difficulty of leaving certain relationships behind.
The remaining additions offer a different perspective on Townes’ musical influences and songwriting. She revisits “She Plays the Piano” in a stripped-back “heartstrings version,” reworking the song with piano and strings for a more intimate presentation. The fourth recording is her interpretation of Patty Griffin’s “Let Him Fly,” a tribute to one of Townes’ musical heroes and the song that inspired the title track of The Acrobat.
The expanded album’s subtitle reflects how dramatically the meaning of the original project has evolved since its creation. Tenille Townes has described beginning the recording process alone, working beside her dog with a single microphone, without knowing whether the music would become anything beyond a personal exercise. “This album has shown me what can happen when you just keep creating even when you feel like giving up,” she says. “That carrying on is the bravest way to bet on yourself again.”
That independence is central to The Acrobat. Written during a period shaped by relationship endings, career changes, and a reassessment of long-standing habits of people-pleasing and self-sacrifice, the album favors sparse arrangements and direct storytelling over elaborate production. Its largely unpolished approach allows Townes’ vocals and lyrics to carry the emotional weight.
The original collection also features Grammy-winning trio I’m With Her, comprising Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan, on “grey like Emmylou.” Additional songwriting contributions come from Grammy-winning writers Lori McKenna, Amy Wadge, and Daniel Tashian, alongside songs written solely by Townes.
Photo Credit: Madison-Rensing
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