Robert Ellis Returns With a Fresh New Sound in 'Yesterday's News'

Inventive singer-songwriter Robert Ellis is back and ready to start a new chapter in his music career. On May 19, the Texas native will release his sixth studio album, Yesterday's News, via his own label, Niles City Records.

The project marks a sonic shift for Ellis, who opted for a more stripped-down and intimate sound than the large, layered feel of his acclaimed 2019 LP Texas Piano Man. You can hear that distinct change clearly on his new record's enchanting title track, out today (Feb. 8).

Ellis says he has a deep personal connection with the track and its accompanying music video, which shows viewers a unique look at life out on the road through a series of engaging visual snapshots.

"I met Erica (the director of this video) around seven years ago. We've been both life partners and creative partners since," Ellis says. "We started shooting much of this footage shortly after falling in love and before kids. The footage spans four continents and too many tours to count. Originally our intent was to make a narrative short film about being on the road. Life, as it often does, got away from us and said film vanished into the ether. The footage, however, remained."

"For Erica and I, going through it now, all these years (and two kids) later was cathartic, to say the least," he continues. "It also struck us both that unknowingly we had been documenting much of the source material behind the song 'Yesterday's News.' This is more than just a music video for us. It's a window into where this song comes from."

Watch below:

With a new focus and perspective, Ellis recorded the entirety of Yesterday's News to tape in just two days. The record's sparse accompaniment allows listeners to focus in on Ellis's thoughtful lyricism and smooth yet gripping vocals.

"I've spent my entire career trying to make records that I thought would be 'exciting' to other people," Ellis notes. "But the albums I've always been most drawn to are small and gentle and soft. The more I sat with these new songs, the more I realized that their stillness was their strength."

Yesterday's News is available for pre-order now. You can find more information on the record and keep up with Robert Ellis by visiting his official website.

Robert Ellis, Yesterday's News Track List:

1. "Gene"
2. "On the Run"
3. "Yesterday's News"
4. "Out of the Woods"
5. "Wait"
6. "Wait (Reprise)"
7. "Close Your Eyes"
8. "Close Your Eyes (Instrumental)"
9. "Better Tomorrow"