ALLISON RUSSELL SHARES HER COVER OF THE TRAGICALLY HIP’S “WHEAT KINGS”
THE FIRST SINGLE FROM IT’S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING – A MUSICAL WITH SONGS BY THE TRAGICALLY HIP OUT OCTOBER 23
RUSSELL TO PERFORM “WHEAT KINGS” LIVE FOR THE FIRST TIME AT 2026 CANADIAN SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY PRESENTED BY AMAZON MUSIC ON SEPTEMBER 26 AT MASSEY HALL IN HONOUR OF THE TRAGICALLY HIP
BUY / STREAM “WHEAT KINGS (THE TRAGICALLY HIP COVER)” HERE
CANADIAN TOUR BEGINS OCTOBER 22 | ALL DATES LISTED BELOW | TICKETS HERE
ALLISON RUSSELL’S THIRD STUDIO ALBUM IN THE HOUR OF CHAOS OUT NOW FROM FANTASY RECORDS
Photo Credit: Mason Poole // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Following the success of the critically-acclaimed musical It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken – A New Musical with Songs by The Tragically Hip that premiered in Hamilton earlier this year, a conceptual cast album featuring the original cast vocalists as well as special guest vocalist Allison Russell will be available on October 23 via Universal Music Canada.
"Wheat Kings" featuring GRAMMY and JUNO award-winning, critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Allison Russell, is the first single off the upcoming album. Russell will perform “Wheat Kings” for the first time live at the 2026 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on September 26 at Massey Hall in honour of The Tragically Hip. In collaboration with Amazon Music, the event will also be livestreamed globally on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and streamed on Prime Video in Canada. Purchase tickets to the event HERE.
“The Hip unite us. Perhaps never more so than in Gord’s last days with us. Their legacy is living and growing. I don’t have adequate words to express how meaningful and moving it was for this Canadian girl who came up in the 90s, to get to be a small part of it. Working with Steve Berlin and doing my best to pay homage to Gord, whose poetry and art as activism, is foundational to mine, was a surreal, joyful dream. “Wheat Kings” is as relevant today as the day it was written. I hope I did them proud. “ - Allison Russell
BUY / STREAM “WHEAT KINGS (THE TRAGICALLY HIP COVER)” HERE
MORE ABOUT IT’S A GOOD LIFE IF YOU DON’T WEAKEN
Produced by the multi-award-winning Michael Rubinoff (Come From Away), It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken immerses audiences in a powerful original story set to the timeless music of The Tragically Hip, capturing the raw energy, heartfelt lyrics, and unmistakable spirit that have become central to Canada’s musical identity.
Set in 2002, the musical follows Waleed, an exiled journalist starting over in Canada, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he unexpectedly falls for Kate, the owner of a local music store. Their connection is immediate and undeniable. But when circumstances change, they are forced to confront duty, uncertainty, and what truly matters – and where they each belong.
MORE ABOUT ALLISON RUSSELL + IN THE HOUR OF CHAOS
The songs on Allison Russell’s latest album, In the Hour of Chaos are meant to reverse the tides that pull us farther and farther apart, even from ones we love the most. It’s only fitting that Russell leaned into her vibrant and ever expanding community of artists and friends to create a collaborative song suite that goes far beyond a succession of features.
These songs unfold like a series of one act plays with Allison, who joins with an artist(s) from her rainbow diaspora, many from her adopted home in Nashville. Tactile, vulnerable, raw, soothing, sensual, and sad, each is a little capsule of humans being fully human and fully present. Allison Russell curates her collaborators with care including Norah Jones’ intimate ease on “Really Real” and Ruby Amanfu’s vulnerable grace on “Just Like Saturday”, both serve as portals into our flawed, fantastic, interconnected lives.
Early releases from the album include her Juneteenth single ft. Brittney Spencer “Black Lavender”, a celebration of sisterhood; “No Springtime” featuring Joy Oladokun and Julie Williams; and “Cold April”, a track showing intergenerational depth by featuring her tourmate Kara Jackson who is a recent collaborator of the Gorillaz and formerly the U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate, Denitia, and a CMT Next Women of Country selection who was also featured in Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony. The track also includes the Explore! Pop Choir featuring Russell’s daughter, Ida.
WATCH / SHARE “COLD APRIL” HERE
FT. KARA JACKSON, DENITIA & EXPLORE! POP CHOIR
WATCH / SHARE “BLACK LAVENDER” FT. BRITTNEY SPENCER HERE
Elsewhere, Devon Gilfillian brings effortless warmth to “Love is a Golden Lion”, Chibueze Ihuoma adds an otherworldly tenderness to “Two Stars”, and Ahya Simone’s incomparable harp closes the circle with the haunting “Good Omens”. Across these songs, Russell holds the center effortlessly, while illuminating the voices of her chosen family. She turns these throughlines into golden thread, strengthening as she weaves, the only protection she knows against the chaos of this hour.
Russell also took the stage at the JUNO Awards earlier this year to pay tribute to fellow Canadian, Joni Mitchell with a duet between her and Sarah McLachlan. Russell is currently on tour throughout North America with McLachlan – see a full list of her tour dates below.
WATCH ALLISON RUSSELL & SARAH MCLACHLAN AT THE 2026 JUNO AWARDS
WATCH / SHARE “NO SPRINGTIME” FT. JOY OLADOKUN & JULIE WILLIAMS HERE
Allison Russell just completed her second run on Broadway as Persephone in the 8x Tony Award winning musical Hadestown. She took over the role in November 2024 initially, after spending much of that year opening for Hozier on his Unreal Unearth Tour supporting his arena run on all US dates and throughout Europe. She made her Billboard Hot 100 debut thanks to their duet “Wildflower & Barley”.
The accolades for Russell have been immense. Last year she was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and named Billboard Women In Music Canada’s “Breakthrough Artist of the Year”. She has had 8 GRAMMY Award nominations and one win, earned three 2022 Americana Award nominations and a win for Album of the Year with subsequent nominations in 2023 and 2024, two International Folk Music Award wins, a 2022 JUNO Award nomination for Songwriter of the Year, and her first-ever JUNO Award win for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year. Russell won three Canadian Folk Music Awards, two UK Americana Music Awards, and more.
BUY / STREAM IN THE HOUR OF CHAOS HERE
MORE ABOUT ALLISON RUSSELL
Montreal-born, Nashville-based Allison Russell is a GRAMMY, JUNO, Americana, SOCAN, and Folk Award–winning artist and Polaris Music Prize–shortlisted singer-songwriter, producer, author, actor, and human rights advocate.
Her acclaimed solo debut Outside Child (2021) was followed by The Returner (2023), released via Concord/Fantasy. Prior to her solo work, she co-founded and toured internationally with Po’Girl, Birds of Chicago, and Our Native Daughters, and remains an active collaborator with OND and a member of Joni Mitchell’s Joni Jam.
Her forthcoming memoir will be published by LittleBrown, and her third album is slated for release in 2026.
PRAISE FOR ALLISON RUSSELL
“Allison Russell finds hope amid the chaos” The Globe & Mail
“a duet of comfort, affirmation, praise and solace...The song recognizes opposition and the need to stay defensive, but it’s determinedly optimistic.” - The New York Times re: “Black Lavender”
"Allison Russell is one of those performers who smile as they hypnotize. She lulls you into a delighted state and then all of a sudden, you realize her talent has wrapped itself around you, and there is no escape" - American Songwriter
“In the Hour of Chaos testifies to the power of resilience and unity in the face of the political, social, economic, and personal chaos we face daily in these times...Russell creates an ebullient community of song." - No Depression
. “Russell's voice, ringing clear and stronger than ever, glides atop a grooving bassline to reveal magic in each corner — if only you remember where to look.” CBC Music re: “Rainbows”
“Allison Russell leans into the healing power of music on ‘Cold April’... With voices lifted together, Russell channels resilience, community, and the strength to keep moving forward.” - KCRW re: “Cold April”
ALLISON RUSSELL CANADIAN TOUR DATES
Oct 22 – Massey Hall – Toronto, ON
Oct 23 – Theatre Beanfield – Montreal, QC
Oct 24 – Imperial Bell – Quebec City, QC
Oct 25 – National Arts Centre - Southam Hall – Ottawa, ON
Nov 03 – Burton Cummings Theatre – Winnipeg, MB
Nov 05 – Winspear Centre – Edmonton, AB
Nov 06 – Grey Eagle Resort & Event Centre – Calgary, AB
Nov 09 – Chan Centre for the Performing Arts – Vancouver, BC