Monica Richards will release “Hiraeth” on 12 February 2027, her first solo album in 14 years. Richards is the singer of Faith And The Muse and Strange Boutique, and the announcement covers the record’s track list, formats and edition sizes.
The album runs to nine songs: “Horae: Thallo”, “Sand and Line”, “Mimir”, “Connasci”, “Horae: Eirene”, “The Lotos-Eaters”, “Spirit Night”, “Akhlys” and “Hiraeth”. According to the announcement, the songs combine ethereal soundscapes, tribal rhythms and rock singing with multi-part vocals. Thematically, Richards links personal memories with mythological motifs and argues that humanity has to find its way back to itself, to one another and to nature.
Nine songs, one Welsh title
The title is Welsh and describes a deep longing for something lost. Richards produced the album together with Chad Blinman. It appears as a CD and as a vinyl edition, and a video titled “Hiraeth | A Journey Through the Album” accompanies the release.
Two vinyl colours, 1,000 CDs
The two vinyl editions come in magenta and turquoise, each limited to 250 copies. The CD is limited to 1,000 copies and carries four exclusive remixes alongside the album tracks.
From Faith And The Muse to solo work
Richards is known to gothic audiences mainly through Faith And The Muse and Strange Boutique, the two bands in which she sings. “Hiraeth” is presented as her first solo album in 14 years, which places it well apart from her work with those groups. No record label is named in the announcement; further information is pointed to via www.monicarichards.com.
