North Carolina based Americana duo, A Different Thread, have announced details of their third album “Over Again” set for release on September 2nd, along with a UK summer tour, offering fans the opportunity to hear songs from their upcoming album before its official release. The album’s first single, ‘Come On Home Molly‘ is out now and limited pre-release copies of the record will be available exclusively at live shows – you can hear it below.
Alicia Best (US) and Robert Jackson (UK) met while busking on the cobbled streets of Ireland and discovered both a musical and personal harmony that was serendipitous. In the decade since forming A Different Thread, Best and Jackson have taken their act on the road, touring over a dozen countries, supporting artists such as Milk Carton Kids and Jody Stephens (Big Star), and garnering critical praise from the likes of Folk Radio UK, which hailed the duo as “warm, deep songwriters that have drank from the well of 20th century tradition.” Their sound blends Jackson’s British folk-rock influences with Best’s North Carolina-bred alt-country style. From late May to July, the tour spans across England and Wales, with stops including London, Bristol, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Tywyn. The duo will be joined for most of the dates by Birmingham-based Mike Seal on double bass.
“A lot has happened since we last toured the UK, and this album marks a big shift for us, moving stateside,” says Alicia Best. “We can’t wait to share this new music with our UK audience”. You can buy tickets for the tour from this link.
The new album speaks to themes of change and transformation. With lyrics rooted in their personal experiences and social justice commentary, the record blends electric guitars with Appalachian dulcimer and honky-tonk fiddle with gospel-tinged harmonies. Though inspired by artists like Gillian Welch, John Prine, and The Avett Brothers, the duo continues to maintain a distinct sound that is their own. The album is a transatlantic creation, recorded in North Carolina, at Sylvan Esso’s studio, ‘Betty’s’ (The Mountain Goats and Watchhouse), and finished at Alma Vale Studio in Bristol, UK (Phantom Limb/Yola and Elles Bailey).
A Different Thread 2025 Tour Dates:
May 22 – Lewes – Lewes Con Club (with Erika Olson)
May 24 – Lichfield – The Hub at St. Mary’s
May 28 – London – What’s Cookin’
May 29 – Boxmoor – Fishery Wharf
June 5 – Bristol – The Canteen
June 6 – Glastonbury – The King Arthur
June 7 – Bath – Tangled Roots Festival
June 11 – Pontyclun – Llantrisant Folk Club
June 13 – Tywyn – Magic Lantern Cinema
June 14 – Colwyn Bay – Mash Taphouse
June 15th – Wirral – The Nest Club
June 17 – Bath – The Bell Inn
June 21 – Stonehenge – Summer Solstice Festival
July 2 – Stoke – Biddulph Up in Arms (with The Weeping Willows)
July 3 – Sheffield – Café#9
July 4 – Sheffield – Café#9
July 6 – Malvern – Not a Cult Fest
July 8 – Owston Ferry – The Crooked Billet
July 9 – Kingston upon Hull – The New Adelphi Club
July 10 – Newcastle upon Tyne – The Cluny
July 12 – Eccles – Eccles Town Hall (Echo)
July 16 – Hebden Bridge – Trades Club
July 18 – London – Green Note
July 19 – Bristol – John Sebastian, Lightship 55 (with Play Misty)
July 20 – Hay-on-Wye – The Globe
July 21 – Derby – Flower Pot
July 25 – Lichfield – The Hub at St. Mary’s
July 26 – Chester – Roman Lakes
July 27 – Tewkesbury – Tewkesbury Live Festival
July 27 – Birmingham – The Kitchen Garden Café
