The New Pornographers have recently released their new digital-only album! The group plans to release the 2025 vinyl-only single “Ballad of the Last Payphone.” This hand-numbered 7″ release features two tracks: the A-side “Ballad of the Last Payphone” and the B-side “Ego Death for Beginners.” This is the band’s first new music since their 2023 album, Continue as a Guest.
Ballad of the Last Payphone takes its inspiration from a short story by the legendary writer Raymond Carver. That narrative is now considered ‘Fat. Conceptually, the song is about a person making their last phone call from a last payphone in New York City. This special payphone is currently on view at the Museum of the City of New York.
A.C. Newman, the band’s frontman, explained further on the song’s premise. He explained, “This song was based on a Raymond Carver story ‘Fat.’ It’s about somebody who goes to the last payphone in NYC, which is actually in the Museum of the City of New York now. He shared his thoughts on the narrator’s obsession with the payphone. The narrator can’t explain their obsession, but it’s pretty clear to us. At least, it is to me.
The advance cut “Ballad of the Last Payphone” is getting a special limited edition music city vinyl, to stamp its exclusivity. Vinyl Club tier members of Newman’s Substack will receive this special vinyl-only single. To celebrate the release, we commissioned a new animated video by artist Michael Arthur. As a result, it impressively deepens the spellbinding narrative quality of the story depicted in the song.
The New Pornographers are stretching and refining their creative aesthetic. This new single serves as a bridge between their previous album and what’s to come. Fans eagerly anticipate how this new music will resonate within the context of their broader discography.