Two decades into their fiercely independent journey, Raleigh, North Carolina’s finest roots-rockers are back. American Aquarium has officially dropped their 11th studio album, New Ways to Lose.
For a band that famously tours like their lives depend on it, this album marks a profound sonic expansion and a deeply mature shift in lyrical perspective.
To bring New Ways to Lose to life, the band returned to a familiar, winning formula with a twist. In November 2025, they holed up for a whirlwind 10-day session at the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, teaming up once again with multi-Grammy-winning producer Shooter Jennings (who previously produced 2020’s Lamentations and 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still).
Jennings explicitly pushed the band away from rigid perfectionism. Much of the record was tracked completely live, capturing the raw, anthemic energy of American Aquarium’s renowned stage shows. However, the true surprise lies in the sonic layering added during overdubs. Listeners will immediately notice a much larger canvas than previous records, anchored by prominent piano, rich organ arrangements, and a full-throttle horn section.
As Saving Country Music say “BJ Barham and American Aquarium deliver an impassioned, propulsive, and potent experience to those unafraid to lose in life, and would rather do so than win the easy way”.
New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen on our website - https://www.nznetradio.net.nz/listen
