Seattle-based singer-songwriter Robert Deeble’s new single, ‘The First Lady of Peru’, is deeply atmospheric and gently captivating. Intricately arranged layers of cello from Sydney Metcalf and Aleida Gehrels’ viola create a richness and depth of sound to become immersed in. Sage Rose’s voice joins with Deeble’s, sounding dreamily evocative and reflective, as the song grows subtly towards its conclusion. Musically, it’s beautifully textured. Meanwhile, Deeble’s words are lonesome poetry, exploring deep, personal feelings: “I have this loneliness // It holds me like a relationship // A beauty that wells up inside of me // deeper than the eyes of men can see.” And the song reflects that beauty, welling up from the inside, growing and revealing itself, understated and hypnotic.
‘First Lady of Peru’ appears on “The Space Between Us”, an album of personal, heartfelt reflections that is released today, 6th February 2026. Deeble explains: “‘The Space Between Us’ reflects on the relationships that become frayed in a partisan era and speaks to a deeper longing for connection. The album is the result of a four-year partnership with producer Ric Hordinski in Cincinnati, OH. Together, we utilized several different studios, with players around the country who contributed.” Indeed, those talented players include the likes of bassist Viktor Krauss (Allison Krauss/Robert Plant) and drummer Lacey Brown (Damien Jurado), adding great musicianship to Deeble’s well-crafted songs.
The songs themselves were written during the isolation of the pandemic and a period in American politics that was, and still is, incredibly polarising. It feels as if people are more divided than ever, with doubt, uncertainty and mistrust filling those spaces between us. Deeble says of the songs: “Collectively, they felt to me to be a lament for the dysfunction of our time, with also a hope that we may turn from an idolatry of power to discover a deeper strength in vulnerability.” Let’s hold onto that hope, taking strength from the beauty to be found in music like this.
