Ben Kweller has announced Cover the Mirrors, his first new album since the sudden death of his 16-year-old son in February 2023. It’s out May 30th, 2025, but you can hear the first single, “Optimystic,” below.
Marking the follow-up to 2021’s Circuit Boredom, the 12-track LP was recorded in October 2024 with tourmates Chris Mintz-Plasse (bass) and Ryan Dean (drums). Fellow indie standouts Waxahatchee, MJ Lenderman, and The Flaming Lips contributed to the album.
“This is the most personal, emotionally raw project I’ve ever worked on,” Kweller said in a statement. “When Dorian died in 2023 I was overcome with the need to make music. I didn’t care what came out of me because it was the only way I could find peace in my earth-shattering grief.”
He continued, “It’s hard not to focus on everything I’ve lost and in the depths of my sorrow I realized that something was gained. I can only describe it as an additional layer in the spectrum of understanding. My highs are higher and my lows are lower. My love is deeper and my calling is stronger. Cover the Mirrors is helping me cope with my new reality and these songs are part of that journey.”
“Optimystic” offers a preview of that emotional rawness and those lower lows as Kweller describes a moment of defeat. “Happiness, wanna die, death kiss,” he sings. “Get high, stay high, close your eyes.”
To support the project, Kweller will head out on a previously announced tour across the US. It kicks off on April 15th in Atlanta and will include stops in cities like Nashville, New York, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, and more. Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster.
See the artwork and tracklist for Cover the Mirrors below. Physical pre-orders are ongoing at Kweller’s website.
Kweller’s son, Dorian Zev, was killed in a car accident in late February of 2023. “Dorian radiated positivity and spread it to everyone he touched,” Ben and his wife Liz Kweller wrote in his obituary. “He was brave, adventurous, and lived each day to the fullest. He was witty and loved making people laugh even when it was at his own expense.”
Cover the Mirrors Artwork:
Cover the Mirrors Tracklist:
01. Going Insane
02. Dollar Store (feat. Waxahatchee)
03. Trapped
04. Park Harvey Fire Drill
05. Depression (feat. Coconut Records)
06. Don’t Cave
07. Optimystic
08. Brakes
09. Killer Bee (feat. The Flaming Lips)
10. Letter to Agony
11. Save Yourself
12. Oh Dorian (feat. MJ Lenderman)
Ben Kweller 2025 Tour Dates:
04/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory at The Masquerade
04/16 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
04/18 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
04/19 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
04/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
04/22 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
04/24 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
04/25 – Ferndale, MI @ Loving Touch
04/26 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
04/29 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
04/30 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
05/02 – Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge & Music Hall
05/03 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
07/09 – Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
07/11 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
07/12 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie
07/14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
07/17 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
07/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
07/19 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
07/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Independent
07/23 – West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour
07/25 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
07/26 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom