Seasoned singer-songwriter Josh Ritter is set to release a new studio album thematically centered around the magic and mystery of the human experience. Set for release on September 12 via Thirty Tigers and produced by Sam Kassirer, I Believe in You, My Honeydew represents a new era of creative evolution for the acclaimed lyricist and musician.
“I lived in the woods when I was a kid,” Ritter shares in a statement, describing the inspiration behind his latest project. “I used to believe (and maybe I was right) that I could walk out of our front door, across the gravel road, and, pointing myself north, I could walk to Canada, never once leaving the tree line. Wonder was a temple with no walls, and the Muse was still just a ripple in the ponderosas. I felt no fear.
“I’m 48 now. Decades have passed,” he continues. “There have been times I felt my inspiration, my Muse, had passed along with them. And then, not too long ago, I decided that instead of waiting for the Muse to write me a song, I would write the Muse a song instead. I started referring to my Muse as my Honeydew. And this album was born. 
“The songs on Honeydew are songs for my Muse, my invisible and blinding companion of long-standing,” concludes Ritter. “I hope it enjoys them. I hope that it experiences a bit of what it’s like to be human, a bit of what it’s like to be lonely, scared, uncertain, joyful, righteous. I believe in you, my honeydew.”
To coincide with the arrival of his upcoming LP, Ritter has also confirmed a new roster of U.S. tour dates set for this November. The 12-date run includes stops in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Minneapolis, and New York City this November.
Tickets for Ritter’s newly announced live dates (listed below) will be available during a limited pre-sale beginning Wednesday, June 11, at 10 a.m. local time. A portion of proceeds raised from pre-sale tickets purchased via Ritter’s official website will be donated to the Immigrant Defense Project, a non-profit organization that works to protect the rights of immigrants within the United States and worldwide.
Listen to “You Won’t Dig My Grave,” the uplifting and defiant lead single off of I Believe in You, My Honeydew, below:
I Believe In You, My Honeydew Track List:
- “You Won’t Dig My Grave”
- “Honeydew (No Light)”
- “Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding)”
- “Noah’s Children”
- “Wild Ways”
- “Thunderbird”
- “Kudzu Vines”
- “I’m Listening”
- “The Wreckage of One Vision of You”
- “The Throne”
Josh Ritter 2025 Tour Dates:
Nov. 1 – Rochester, N.Y. @ Concerts at Beston Hall
Nov. 2 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ St. Cecilia Music Center
Nov. 3 – Ann Arbor, Mich. @ The Ark
Nov. 4 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Taft Theatre
Nov. 6 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Sovereign
Nov. 7 – Chicago, Ill. @ Thalia Hall
Nov. 8 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Fitzgerald Theater
Nov. 9 – Des Moines, Iowa @ Hoyt Sherman Place
Nov. 12 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
Nov. 13 – Washington, D.C. @ Lincoln Theatre
Nov. 14 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Keswick Theatre
Nov. 16 – New York, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel
