News
30 October 2026 – THAO Releases Show Me and Returns After Six Years With an Album About Change, Forgiveness and Finding Her Voice
By Editorial Team - October 30, 2026
Summary
Thao Nguyen marks her return with Show Me via Kill Rock Stars, produced with Tune-Yards and featuring guests Neko Case and The Linda Lindas.
Key Facts
- Thao Nguyen returns with 'Show Me', her first studio LP in six years, out today on Kill Rock Stars.
- The album was co-produced with Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner of Tune-Yards.
- Features collaborative guest appearances from Neko Case, The Linda Lindas, and Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas).
- Entities: THAO, Thao Nguyen, Show Me, Kill Rock Stars, Temple, Merrill Garbus, Nate Brenner, Tune-Yards, Neko Case, The Linda Lindas, Adrian Quesada, The Ally Coalition
- Tags: thao, thao-nguyen, show-me, kill-rock-stars, tune-yards, neko-case, the-linda-lindas, indie-rock
Acclaimed Vietnamese-American songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Thao Nguyen releases Show Me today via legendary independent label Kill Rock Stars. Marking her first full studio album in six years and her first major release billed simply under the moniker THAO, the record documents a profound period of personal reinvention, grief and creative renewal.
Following her critically celebrated 2020 LP Temple, Nguyen stepped back from the relentless touring cycle, directing her energies into film composing, television podcasting, and community organizing while navigating life-altering personal transitions. Show Me confronts accountability, familial reconciliation, and the exhilarating relief of finally speaking without self-censorship.
The album was produced in close collaboration with Nate Brenner and Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards, infusing the arrangements with kinetic percussion, brass flourishes and gritty tape distortion. Guest contributors read like a dream indie roll-call: alt-country icon Neko Case duets on "Catch As Catch Can", teenage punk phenomena The Linda Lindas lend vocals to the fiery "Lose Lose", and guitarist Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas contributes psych-soul guitar riffs.
To support the album, THAO will embark on a 30-city North American headline tour throughout early 2027, partnering with The Ally Coalition to raise funds and awareness for local LGBTQ+ youth organizations at every stop. Six years is a long break between studio records, but Nguyen demonstrates that waiting until you truly have something urgent to say produces undeniable artistic magic. Read more in our indie rock hub.