Newsletter (September 1, 2025)

Talking Heads Journal releases articles about what's going on with Talking Heads and its members, like this one you're reading right now. But you can also get these updates directly via email to stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletters. With recent developments to the website, these newsletters are now available to send more practically, so they are going to become more regular. A slightly shorter version of this article, without pictures and links, has been sent out to users who are already subscribed.

• David Byrne's new album Who Is The Sky? releases this Friday (September 5) via Matador Records. Here's a link to buy it.

• The singles "Everybody Laughs", "She Explains Things to Me", and "The Avant Garde" are all out now. The final single, "What Is The Reason For It?" (featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore), will be released on Wednesday (September 3) with an animated music video followed by a YouTube Premium conversation between Hayley and David.

• There are some listening parties for the album taking place at record stores around the world on September 4, and a sold-out special in-person listening party with David Byrne in attendance in New York City on September 2. See this list of participating record stores.

• On Wednesday, David Byrne will be appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for his first TV performance of the Who Is The Sky? era. He has been interviewed by Fallon many times, including in June 2024 alongside the other members of Talking Heads.

• Soon after the album release, David Byrne will be going on a large tour to support the album, with almost 3 months of shows across the United States from Providence, RI on September 14 to Miami, FL on December 6. See the full tour schedule and ticket info here. In 2026, the tour will reach other continents, with current dates announced for Oceania in January, followed by Europe in February and March. Closer to the time, more dates and locations will likely be announced.

• Meanwhile, Jerry Harrison will be doing a Stop Making Sense tour of the United States, with him introducing the movie and answering questions at each screening of the film. This tour begins on September 13, with 22 dates until November 22, followed by 7 more dates in January. See here for the full list of dates and ticket info.

• Jerry Harrison recently finished touring the US with Adrian Belew in a further set of Remain in Light concerts, finishing at New York's Webster Hall on July 31.

• Talking Heads released a Super Deluxe edition of More Songs About Buildings And Food on July 25. See this article for more details.

• Both Talking Heads live albums released recently for Record Store Day (Live WCOZ '77 and Live on Tour, '78) are now available on streaming services, after previously only having a limited physical release.

• Talking Heads have released their own skateboard in collaboration with Welcome Skateboards, featuring an early photo of the band members by Mick Rock. See details on the Welcome Skateboards website here.

• David has recently had many media appearances and interviews, including: Subway Takes, Amoeba's What's in my Bag?, Stereogum's We've Got A File On You, BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 2's Tracks of my Years, Australia's News Breakfast, Rolling Stone, The Times, The Toronto Star, The Sydney Herald, and The Adam Buxton Podcast. Many more media appearances and interviews are likely yet to come.

• David Byrne's song "Glass, Concrete & Stone" was used in the trailer for an upcoming film featuring Brendan Fraser, Rental Family.

• On August 2, David Byrne was a surprise guest at a Brass Queens concert in Brooklyn, performing "This Must Be the Place" with them. The brass band previously starred in his Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things variety show in 2024.

• David Byrne's long-awaited soundtrack to an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Twits will finally be available later this year, with the film releasing on October 17. The credits song is a duet with Hayley Williams, separate from the song featuring her on David's album.

• Later this week, David Byrne is getting married to his fiancée, Mala Gaonkar! The two have collaborated on various projects since the mid-2010s, including Theater of the Mind. In this month's David Byrne Radio playlist, "Dinner Music", he shared the soundtrack for his wedding reception.

• It's time for Talking Heads Wiki to get more organized! The website is seeking more help to document information about the band and the many different aspects of their career. If you're interested in helping this project and improving the information on THW, we now have a Discord server that you can join to find out how to get involved.

As more news emerges this month, especially with the new David Byrne album, Talking Heads Journal will continue sharing updates. Click here to subscribe to this newsletter!