The Staves’ new acoustic EP, Happy New Year, is available on Nonesuch Records in the US today, November 22, 2024. The EP comprises four songs, including today’s release: an acoustic version of “After School” from their latest album, All Now. The Staves call “After School” “a love song to our sister Emily inspired by the bands we were listening to in the ’90s. Putting on the rose-tinted glasses and embracing nostalgia.”

"This EP was inspired by the acoustic performances we had done while promoting All Now," the duo says. "These versions are about casting a light on the lyrics of these songs and the stories they tell, and also celebrating our two voices together by removing almost everything else but guitars.

The three additional tracks from Happy New Year include acoustic versions of the All Now album tracks “I Don’t Say It, But I Feel It” and “All Now,” as well as a cover of the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” that was released last month. The Staves wrap up their thirteen-city fall US tour tonight and next week, with dates in Denver, Dallas, and Austin; details at nonesuch.com/on-tour.

Produced by John Congleton (Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen) and released in March 2024, All Now was Camilla and Jessica Staveley-Taylor’s first recording as a duo. Jessica says of the album, “There was a delayed reaction to trauma and these big changes out of our control.” The Staves—like the rest of us—were forced to sit with their thoughts, but also were still processing the death of their mother and other seismic changes: their sister Emily had stepped away from the band to focus on motherhood, while Camilla reckoned with her own mental and physical health issues.