Palacio

Stage: Progression - Main Stage
Organized by Fource

Palace's fifth album, “Ox” (released September 18 via Palace Presents/Awal), is fully on the band's terms, marking a new era of independence shaped by the freedom to create music exclusively for themselves. It contains a wealth of beauty and excitement: the group's instinctive, heartfelt response to the changes in their own lives, translating their signature dreamy sound into songs that thrill more than ever before.

Recorded in Deptford with longtime producer Adam Jaffrey, “Ox”, in Hodges' words, has “lightness and momentum” in it. Spanning 10 warm, expansive tracks, the album takes a more organic approach, drawing inspiration from the work of The Band, Townes Van Zandt, the muted American from Edward Hopper's paintings, and from life on tour.

A follow-up to last year's “Greyhound” EP, “Ox” puts a fresh emphasis on dynamics and space. Among the key moments of the album are the lead single “Kid”: a moving confession of love and longing for a child while on the road and the six-minute opus “Brown Bread”.

The album's release comes at a time when Palace celebrates further successes as a fully independent project. What began in 2016 under the banner Palace Presents as a monthly takeover of the stage at London pub The George Tavern has grown into an independent label and global community. The band is selling out ever-larger venues and preparing for a major European tour in the spring of 2027.