Australian singer-songwriter Nick Ward has announced his upcoming sophomore album, Year Of The Snake. The announcement arrives alongside a new single, “Piano” featuring Glenn Gould, available now. Year Of The Snake will be released via Republic Records on November 13th.
“Piano” is the first new piece of music Ward has shared since the release of his 2024 debut album House With The Blue Door. Written and co-produced alongside Kody Nielson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Mint Chicks) and Timon Martin (BENEE, Babe Rainbow, ratbag), the track is built around a sample from Glenn Gould’s iconic recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
The single is accompanied by a psychedelic visual co-directed by Nick and his longtime collaborator Charles Buxton Leslie, drawing from their interest in late ‘60s surrealism.
Year Of The Snake takes its title from Ward’s birth year. 2001 was the Year of the Metal Snake according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar. 2025 was once again a Year of the Snake, and Ward connected with the belief that a zodiac year can bring profound change. Following a period of touring Blue Door, he found himself facing major changes in his personal life.
“I didn’t want to make a depressing album wallowing about what it’s like to be alive right now,” Ward shares. “I wanted to make a record that felt like a warm hand on the shoulder or a pep talk, without being naive to the darker shades of life. These are difficult years that we’re experiencing and I wanted to make something that feels like a salve to that.”
He continued: “Year of The Snake feels like the first fully realised Nick Ward record. My first album was made almost completely in my bedroom, so this was my first time building something from scratch on a larger scale, trying all the things I dreamed about as a teenager like working with session musicians, doing live improvised jams, and recording analogue to tape. It feels like a step forward closer to the artist I want to be.”
