Fueled by surrealism and the specter of nuclear battle, Stephen Wrabel finds mild within the darkest locations – an thought he explores on WRABEL’s forthcoming third album ‘Up Above,’ a sobering, strikingly human document that pairs emotional readability with cinematic soundscapes.
Stream: “up above” – Wrabel
“Flowers nonetheless bloom in the end.”
That quote, printed on a bit by British artist David Shrigley, hangs on WRABEL’s lounge wall. It quietly neglected the very area the place a lot of his upcoming album Up Above took form.
“I don’t suppose it’s simply coincidence that that piece was inside eyeshot,” he says. “As cliché as it could sound or be, I consider that to be true.”
From that straightforward sentiment – hope in opposition to the chances – WRABEL spiraled outward, taking the thought to its most existential extremes.
“We received’t be right here ceaselessly,” he displays. “We don’t even know the way lengthy ‘ceaselessly’ would or might probably be. And but, right here we’re. What are we gonna do? How a lot sweeter does one thing develop into once you actually notice it’s fleeting?”
That sort of pressure runs all through Up Above, WRABEL’s third studio album, set for launch on February 13, 2026. It began, oddly sufficient, with a love music about nuclear battle.
Whereas studying Nuclear Battle: A State of affairs by Annie Jacobsen, a ebook detailing how a world disaster might unfold, WRABEL felt an odd inspiration strike. He picked up his guitar, recorded a tough voice memo, and texted his longtime collaborator Drew Pearson: “Hey, do you wanna write a music about nuclear battle?”
The outcome grew to become “Up Above,” a sweeping, slow-building observe that may ultimately identify – and form – your entire document. Initially titled “Meteor Bathe,” the music reframes private emotion in existential phrases. WRABEL describes it as “stunning chaos,” a bit that “zoomed out from the private to the existential, dissolving and reforming because it goes.” It redefined the emotional stakes of the whole lot he’d been engaged on.
And with that, Up Above started to take kind.
Co-produced by WRABEL and Austin Ward, with further manufacturing and mixing by Damian Taylor (Björk, Frou Frou, Arcade Hearth), the album marks WRABEL’s first time totally within the producer’s chair. It’s additionally a notable shift in his storytelling method. Whereas his 2023 album Based mostly on a True Story leaned on autobiographical narratives, Up Above is extra summary, dreamlike, and surreal; constructed on fragmented imagery and philosophical questioning.
“In the event you knew the world was ending tomorrow,” WRABEL asks, “how way more would the individual you like matter in the present day?”
That existential curiosity performs out throughout songs just like the luminous “future” and the cinematic title observe. There’s a looking out high quality to the music; a necessity to search out which means, hope, and even simply readability within the face of overwhelming uncertainty.
Visually, the album leans much more into surrealism. Directed and photographed by Dana Trippe (Janelle Monáe, Weyes Blood), the imagery options post-apocalyptic dreamscapes: mushroom clouds, decaying landscapes, eerie stillness. WRABEL, carefully concerned within the visible course for the primary time, discovered inspiration within the works of René Magritte and the chilling silence that follows imagined devastation.
But for all of the looming dread, Up Above reaches towards the sunshine. Its core message just isn’t despair however defiance; insisting that love, magnificence, and which means can nonetheless exist, even (or particularly) within the shadow of an ending.
With a profession spanning over a decade, WRABEL has quietly develop into one in all pop’s most emotionally incisive voices – not simply via his personal music, however behind the scenes as a sought-after songwriter. His writing credit embody collaborations with main artists like Kesha, Teddy Swims, Celeste, Ellie Goulding, Madi Diaz, and extra. His 2017 breakout single “The Village” grew to become a defining LGBTQ+ anthem, celebrated for its uncooked empathy and enduring resonance. That very same emotional honesty continues to drive his work in the present day, solely now, the lens has widened from the deeply private to the existential.
Up Above gives listeners an fascinating perspective of selecting surprise and which means within the face of chaos.
“I attempted to search out some type of peace in that, and a deep appreciation for what we’re, and what we will be,” WRABEL says.
Atwood Journal linked with the singer/songwriter about leaning into surrealism, confronting the fragility of life, and constructing a sonic world that balances dread and hope.
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A CONVERSATION WITH WRABEL
Atwood Journal: That is your first time co-producing an album. What made you wish to leap into that facet of issues, and what was that like?
WRABEL: It’s certainly! I believe it began within the Zoom days of the early pandemic. I needed to both study to adapt and do easy sufficient issues like document my very own tough vocal for a demo, and many others. That type of sparked the concept possibly I might sit down and construct one thing of my very own.
I’ve been so fortunate to have labored with so many unimaginable producers through the years, and I really feel like a lot of them have constructed my confidence in my very own concepts as we’ve made songs and albums collectively. I simply began experimenting and exploring, and despatched early demos to my A&R Tom Gates at Nettwerk, who actually gave me such a lift of confidence and inspired me to belief my very own artistic intestine — simply observe it the place it leads, even when simply to see the place it goes and what comes out.
As soon as issues began shaping up, I used to be fairly shocked, to be trustworthy! I’m so grateful for Austin Ward and Damian Taylor, who each actually understood the world I needed to construct and have such sturdy artistic guts of their very own.
You’ve stated the title observe, “Up Above,” actually helped form the entire album. Do you bear in mind the second all of it clicked?
WRABEL: It clicked the day I began the thought. It was referred to as “Meteor Bathe,” however I knew it was about nuclear battle. I additionally knew who to name – Drew Pearson, a longtime shut pal and collaborator. I texted him the little begin of an thought (guitar/vocal) and a message like, “Hey, do you wanna write a music about nuclear battle?!”
It was such a big day making that music collectively, and he actually knocked it out of the park with the drums – that was added after I left, and I used to be shocked to say the least, in the very best manner. One in all my favourite elements of collaborating is this concept I’ve of a Venn diagram: we share some inspirations or pure inclinations, and on both facet is an entire world of different. I really like when somebody does one thing I might by no means do; one thing I might by no means even consider. And on “Up Above,” Drew did simply that. It added such stunning chaos and actually captured what the music is all about. That music re-contextualized the physique of labor I had been creating and heightened the emotional stakes throughout.
This document feels far more existential and dreamy in comparison with your final one. Was {that a} aware shift or did the songs simply sort of take you there?
WRABEL: I believe the songs led me there. I’ll say that that is the closest document to a few of my greatest inspirations: Aqualung, Dan Black, Mr. Hudson, Apparat, and many others. A lot of my profession has been spent with one foot within the EDM/dance/digital world via options I’ve been a part of. I believe I’ve all the time needed to precise that a part of my creativity in a much bigger manner, and I believe this document did that.
It positively was an intentional choice to veer away from literal narrative writing – one thing I’ve finished extensively in my previous work. I discovered myself, at greatest, telling tales I felt had been particular and distinctive, and at worst, attempting to (whether or not consciously or subconsciously) recreate issues I’d finished previously. I actually needed to do one thing wholly new with this document. And in a very non-ego manner, I’m so assured I’ve finished that – with the huge assist of the superb creatives that labored on it alongside me.
I noticed you had been impressed by Nuclear Battle: A State of affairs, which is an intense ebook. What about it acquired your wheels turning creatively?
WRABEL: I believe the fragility of, effectively, the whole lot. How this world – large and small – could possibly be turned to mud oh-so-easily and oh-so-quickly. Within the getting into of some codes from a laminated piece of paper and the urgent of a bit of button. Mud.
That basically re-contextualized an album about love and desires and wishes and needs and simply existence. I’ve all the time drawn rather a lot from nature, and in some ways pulling from Nuclear Battle: A State of affairs felt like an extension of that. A “what if?”
You labored with Austin Ward and Damian Taylor on this. What did they every deliver to the challenge that actually pushed issues ahead?
WRABEL: Wow, I don’t know that I can put that into phrases, however alas I shall strive! Austin and I had labored collectively a bit on my final album, and it’s not typically I meet somebody new that I’m magnetically drawn to in my work life. I are usually an island, and I’ll say I will be cussed in not eager to work with folks I don’t know. However from our first session, I felt he was simply so singular and so particular. Our Venn diagram was Venn diagramming! Ha.
Fairly early on I confirmed him among the issues I’d been engaged on and requested if he’d be open to co-producing the issues I’d began, in addition to the songs we had been writing collectively, and assist construct the world of up above. It was a very thrilling partnership; it felt so pure and creatively aligned.
Damian was launched to me by Tom Gates. Tom confirmed as much as lunch (at Crossroads Kitchen, as all the time) with handwritten notes in his pocket book – notes on my songs, and on concepts for the album. The primary identify on the shortlist was Damian Taylor.
We acquired collectively – Damian, Austin, and I – and talked about what we had been doing. We then acquired in Austin’s studio for a listen-through. Damian is the one individual on the planet I’ve ever let problem me. I say that and I imply that. LOL. Like, he stated one thing in our first assembly like, “I’m gonna take you and your document and seize it by the ankles and shake it out,” and I replied one thing like, “Properly, I hate that – let’s go!!”
He had such sturdy convictions and concepts and has a guru-like understanding of sound. Working with him actually modified me to the core. The problem was a problem, but it surely was not solely accepted, it was tremendously appreciated. He pushed us to hunt what was essential in each measure of each music – each vocal, each synth, each instrument.
There have been numerous moments the place he did one thing or questioned one thing and cracked a code. And it was a very human and exquisite expertise – three artistic folks with sturdy convictions and nil ego. There was no room for ego. What a lovely and uncommon factor.
You’re diving into some large themes right here: which means, love, dread, magnificence… How do you personally steadiness all these heavy ideas everyday?
WRABEL: I ignore them! Ha. However actually… I imply, I don’t utterly ignore them, however I actually do see music as a manner of expressing issues in order that they’re out of my head and coronary heart and psyche. I are likely to dwell each day like a child – like, okay, what ought to we (I) do in the present day? I attempt to maintain a childlike naïveté about the whole lot. Perhaps from getting sober a number of instances and fighting psychological well being points, I attempt to depart a whole lot of room for shock and awe and surprise. And I believe in that, I can see the flipside of these great issues: existential dread, apathy, and many others. However I can’t permit myself to get misplaced in these issues, as a result of I’ve been there, and it scares me. I attempt to keep away from scary emotions and experiences – for higher or for worse.
The visuals for this challenge are gorgeous! How concerned had been you in that artistic course, and what vibe had been you going for?
WRABEL: Thanks! This was positively probably the most concerned I’ve ever been. I had a whole lot of concepts and basic vibes, and I knew I needed a mushroom cloud/nuclear bomb in it. The finality of that picture, and likewise the type of disturbing fantastic thing about it – the colours, and many others. I had additionally referenced my favourite artist René Magritte – I really like the odd surrealism of his work.
Dana Trippe is completely unimaginable and introduced a lot to the visuals. I do know it’s not out but, however the cowl artwork offers me goosebumps. The world she constructed and the alternatives she made — it simply felt like precisely what it ought to be, if that is smart.
“Future” feels so hopeful and light-weight – it’s a lovely opener for the album. Was that all the time your imaginative and prescient for the primary single?
WRABEL: To be trustworthy, this complete album got here unexpectedly..! “Future” was the very first thing that got here out of me, however the entire thing type of took me unexpectedly. I positively needed to do one thing that felt true in its feeling and lyric, and I are usually an optimist – generally naively so. “Future” is an ode to constructing one thing from the bottom up – even beneath the bottom. Holding onto and trusting the roots of a relationship, to have the ability to search for. To look ahead into what could possibly be and what we hope shall be.
You’ve created such highly effective, private anthems previously. Do you’re feeling like Up Above nonetheless holds area for id and connection in that manner?
WRABEL: Thanks! I believe it is a totally different album, however I’m and can all the time be the identical artist. For me, this has been a improvement: one other angle, one other facet, a deeper dive, some type of exploration. However I all the time write firstly from a real area.
This album lacks the narrative and literal storytelling of a whole lot of my previous work, however the emotions are true. And I believe that’s actually what connects us all – emotions. So, in that big-picture sense, I hope and consider that once you hear, you’ll hear your self within the document.
On the finish of the day, what’s the one feeling or thought you’d love folks to stroll away with after listening to Up Above?
WRABEL: Hmm, that’s a tough one. I’d say hope. Within the midst of the whole lot, hope. A lightweight on the finish of the tunnel, a break within the clouds.
As I sort this, I see on my wall one in all my favourite items by one in all my favourite artists, David Shrigley, that claims, “Flowers nonetheless bloom in the end.” I don’t suppose it’s simply coincidence that that piece was inside eyeshot, hanging on my lounge wall, whereas – and the place – a whole lot of this document was created.
As cliché as that will sound or be, I consider that to be true. I took it a number of steps additional – to the doable finish of the world, maybe – however I attempted to do all of it in a hopeful manner. Holding two contradictory issues true on the similar time.
We received’t be right here ceaselessly. We don’t even know the way lengthy “ceaselessly” would or might probably be. And but, right here we’re – what are we gonna do? How a lot sweeter does one thing develop into once you actually notice it’s fleeting? Perhaps not gone in an hour or a day or weeks or months and even years, however we are going to all attain the top. And ultimately, this complete extensive world we consider as so large and huge (which is sort of small and random within the grand scheme of all that’s) shall be mud.
I attempted to search out some type of peace in that – and a deep appreciation for what we’re, and what we will be.
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