Madeline Kenney returns this summer with Kiss from the Balcony—her most sonically daring and emotionally resonant album yet, out July 18 via Carpark Records. Following the critical acclaim of 2023’s A New Reality Mind, Kenney steps further into uncharted territory, merging electronic textures, poetic introspection, and flashes of humor into a bold fifth LP.
Originally imagined as an EP, the project blossomed during two weeklong sessions in Oakland with collaborators Ben Sloan and Stephen Patota. Their synergy transformed fragments into vivid, full-bodied songs—Patota grounding the record with warm guitar work while Sloan layered in experimental percussion and electronic flourishes. The result: a record that balances playfulness with raw introspection.
Early singles “Scoop” and “All I Need” hinted at this evolution, but with “Semitones,” Kenney plunges even deeper. It’s a tug-of-war between melody and mistrust—its hopeful chorus masking darker verses about losing faith in someone else while learning to trust your own instincts. “This is about trust landsliding into mistrust,” she says. “But I’m hopeful. That’s what the chorus is for.”
Kiss from the Balcony is full of revelations like this—emotional truth delivered with unexpected levity, rich textures, and a strong sense of self. Kenney continues to carve out space as one of indie’s most fearless voices—restless, sincere, and always evolving.