Front cover photography: Mark Mawston
Front cover illustration: Vic Smelt
Front cover typography design: Lindsay Butcher
Acclaimed folk-Americana artist explores nature, home, resilience and life on the road on her deeply personal new album
Following a breakthrough period that saw widespread critical acclaim, major festival appearances, BBC radio support and the release of her celebrated debut album Lost En Route, travelling troubadour Sorrel Nation returns with her much-anticipated second album, Creeping Thyme.
And yes, Sorrel Nation is her real name. Frequently assumed to be a band or stage name, Sorrel has spent the past few years establishing herself as a distinctive voice within the UK folk, Americana and roots scene, touring extensively across the country and appearing at festivals including Black Deer, Cambridge Folk Festival and Beautiful Days. Her debut album Lost En Route received widespread praise, while her recent singles ‘Ran Jonny Ran’ and her interpretation of Sandy Denny’s ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’ have attracted BBC radio play and strong coverage across the Americana and roots press.
Her second studio album, Creeping Thyme, is released on 23 October 2026 on CD and digital, with vinyl to follow in spring 2027. The title track will be released as the next single on 25 September.
Written largely back home on the Isle of Wight in Sorrel’s converted horse lorry, Bertha, or while travelling the country in her campervan, Dory, the album was shaped by a life lived between home and the open road.
Many of the songs were written outdoors, surrounded by countryside and the changing seasons, making Sorrel’s return to the beautiful rural setting of Sickroom Studio in Norfolk a fitting place to record them.
At its heart, Creeping Thyme is an album about home — the places we return to, the people who shape us and the things that help keep us grounded when the modern world becomes overwhelming.
Sorrel explains:
‘This album is a reflection on the people and places that have tugged at my heartstrings and shaped my world, helping me feel grounded and at home. In them, I’ve found peace, strength, and a little (or a lot) of magic in everyday life, which has been the fuel for writing these songs.’
Throughout Creeping Thyme, nature becomes both inspiration and teacher. The album reflects on the resilience of the natural world, the changing seasons and the importance of staying rooted through life’s joys and sorrows.
The title is also a little play on words. While Creeping Thyme refers to the ancient wild herb and its rich folklore, the title can easily be heard as ‘creeping time’ — a fitting idea for an album reflecting on how time can quietly creep up on us, and how our priorities, relationships and sense of direction can change as we get older.
For Sorrel, the folklore surrounding creeping thyme also perfectly captures the spirit of the record.
‘Learning from nature and the changing seasons has taught me to love the simplest things and to stay resilient through life’s strife. Creeping Thyme felt like a fitting title, as the folklore surrounding this ancient wild herb speaks of courage, protection, peace, and the magic and memory of old ways.’
Musically, the album draws inspiration from British and American folk, old-time music and both traditional and modern country, while remaining unmistakably Sorrel Nation.
The result is a warm, rootsy and organic collection of songs that reflects the influences Sorrel has gathered from her favourite artists and music, while creating a sound that is truly her own.
Recorded in Norfolk with a band made up largely of Sorrel’s closest friends and musical companions, Creeping Thyme captures the chemistry of musicians who spend much of the year travelling, performing and working festivals together — often with their campervans parked side by side.
Their contribution was instrumental in creating the intimate, earthy and roots-driven sound Sorrel envisioned for the record.
The album opens with ‘Chaos Town’, a song about feeling disconnected from the modern world and longing to return to the countryside and the person she used to be.
‘Don’t Forget About Me’ reflects on life on the road, away from those closest to Sorrel, and the importance of nurturing the relationships that matter most.
The title track, ‘Creeping Thyme’, reflects on a life lived in tune with nature, learning from the grounding force of the natural world, with a little folklore and magic woven into the story.
The previously released ‘Ran Jonny Ran’ is one of the album’s most personal songs, reflecting on a loved one desperately searching for something and looking in all the wrong places. It explores the personal grief experienced through that longing and misplaced loyalty.
Elsewhere, ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ strips everything back to Sorrel’s vocals and resonator guitar, recorded in a single live take.
The album also features Sorrel’s acclaimed studio interpretation of Sandy Denny’s ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’, released as the second single from the album. The recording followed Sorrel’s personal invitation from Sandy’s daughter, Georgia Rose Lucas, to contribute to Sandy Denny: A People’s History, placing her among an illustrious group of contributors including Richard Thompson, Rufus Wainwright, Mary Black, Barbara Dickson, Linda Thompson, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg and Joe Boyd.
Further highlights include ‘When The Winter Breaks’, co-written with Vanessa Forero and inspired by the longing to return home after many years away and the need to start anew; ‘Child Of Autumn’, a love song to the magic of autumn and the importance of slowing down; and ‘Real Damn Good’, a relatable reflection on a past relationship and the simple question: ‘How the hell are you?’
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Owen Turner at Sickroom Studio in Norfolk, Creeping Thyme brings together an exceptional group of musicians who have helped shape Sorrel’s sound both on the road and in the studio.
With Creeping Thyme, Sorrel Nation has created an album rooted in friendship, landscape, memory and the enduring power of finding your way home.
It is an album about the passage of time, the people and places that shape us, and discovering what really matters.
Sometimes, the way forward is to put your feet back on the ground.
TRACKLISTING
- ‘Chaos Town’
- ‘Don’t Forget About Me’
- ‘Creeping Thyme’
- ‘Ran Jonny Ran’
- ‘Tell Me You Love Me’
- ‘Who Knows Where the Time Goes’
- ‘When The Winter Breaks’
- ‘Child Of Autumn’
- ‘Real Damn Good’
ALBUM CREDITS
Written by: Sorrel Nation
Recorded, mixed and mastered by: Owen Turner at Sickroom Studio, Norfolk
Sorrel Nation – Lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Sam Anderson – Resonator guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Hollie Garwood – Bass guitar, backing vocals, musical saw
Theo Holder – Cello, backing vocals
Caelia Luniss – Violin
Adam Jackson – Drums, percussion, mandolin on ‘Chaos Town’
Stefan Croot – Double bass on ‘Chaos Town’ and ‘Ran Jonny Ran’
Gareth Price-Baghurst – Mandolin on ‘Ran Jonny Ran’
Vanessa Forero – Backing vocals on ‘When The Winter Breaks’
Front cover photography: Mark Mawston
Front cover illustration: Vic Smelt
Front cover typography design: Lindsay Butcher
CREEPING THYME
Released 23 October 2026
CD and Digital | Vinyl Spring 2027
Next single: ‘Creeping Thyme’ – 25 September 2026
Instagram: @sorrelnation