Black Marble — the solo project of New York-based musician Chris Stewart — is back with big news. His first full-length since 2021’s ‘Fast Idol’ is on the way, and if the lead single is anything to go by, it’s going to be a good one.
‘Life in Small Spaces’ lands August 21st, 2026 on Sacred Bones, and it marks a genuine sonic shift for Stewart. Trading his signature walls of synths for college radio-inspired guitar lines and live drum samples, the record nods to the likes of Pylon, The Necessaries, and Wire — all while keeping that distinctly Black Marble hypnotic glow intact. Think somewhere between two radio stations on a Saturday night. You’re in.
The Album: Commentary, Craft and Conviction
At its core, ‘Life in Small Spaces’ is a letter to independent creatives everywhere. Stewart has been candid about what prompted the record — watching people he assumed were doing fine in music turn out to be anything but. That realisation sparked some deeper questions about identity, compromise and what it actually means to live an artistic life on your own terms.
“I made this record not only as a way of saying that, but as a way of saying it’s ok to feel that way,” Stewart explains. “It’s ok for people to sacrifice some degree of creature comfort in order to live a life you believe in. And it doesn’t have to be an endless search for something just out of reach, it can be a permanent way of being and something that sustains you.”
Heavy stuff — but delivered with the kind of radiant, trance-inducing musicality that Black Marble does better than almost anyone.
New Single: Jim Carol New Year
Leading the charge is Jim Carol New Year, a track that tips its hat to both Jim Carroll (author, poet, punk) and the festive carol tradition — though don’t expect seasonal warmth. This one casts a critical eye on false promises, easy answers and the advice of so-called experts, wrapping it all in a rhythmic synth melody that pulls you in before the subversion kicks in. The repeated refrain “I forgot my money” does a lot of heavy lifting here — every time you hear it, another illusion gets quietly rejected.
“If you want to be free,” Stewart says, “you have to watch out for some of life’s classic pitfalls.“
The video — directed by Clayton Hunt and shot on 16mm — features two travellers drawn toward a distant house, each representing a different version of the journey. The contrast of an orange hazmat suit against a vivid green landscape is exactly as striking as it sounds. Go watch it.
Tour Dates
Stewart hits the road in late August with support from The Serfs and Public Circuit (and Jimmy Cicero for select shows). Full dates below:
* w/ The Serfs | # w/ Public Circuit
Aug 22 — Constellation Room at the Observatory, Santa Ana, CA *
Aug 23 — 1720, Los Angeles, CA *
Aug 25 — Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA *
Aug 26 — Harlow’s, Sacramento, CA *
Aug 28 — The Crocodile, Seattle, WA *
Aug 29 — Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR *
Aug 30 — Shrine Social Club, Boise, ID *
Aug 31 — Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT *
Sep 1 — The Federal Theatre, Denver, CO #
Sep 3 — Slowdown, Omaha, NE #
Sep 4 — Fine Line, Minneapolis, MN #
Sep 5 — Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL #
Sep 6 — El Club Detroit, Detroit, MI #
Sep 7 — Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON #
Sep 8 — La Sala Rosa, Montreal, QC #
Sep 10 — Webster Hall, New York, NY #
Sep 11 — Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA #
Sep 12 — Ottobar, Baltimore, MD #
Sep 14 — Kings, Raleigh, NC #
Sep 15 — The Earl, Atlanta, GA #
Sep 17 — White Oak Music Hall – Upstairs, Houston, TX #
Sep 18 — Club Dada, Dallas, TX #
Sep 19 — 29th Street Ballroom, Austin, TX #
‘Life in Small Spaces’ track listing
1. It Always Comes to Me
2. Jim Carol New Year
3. Anything
4. Get Back Up
5. Other Man’s Dream
6. Guess
7. Life Without
8. Missing History
9. Panopticon Calls
10. Picture When
11. Sonny Boy
‘Life in Small Spaces’ by Black Marble is out August 21st, 2026 on Sacred Bones. Pre-order/save it now — and if the tour’s coming near you, don’t sleep on tickets.
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