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Singer-songwriter Nicki Bluhm has announced her eighth studio album, Rancho Deluxe, set for release on October 3. The record, named after the Nashville home studio Bluhm co-created with her partner and producer Jesse Noah Wilson, is described as a “musical patchwork quilt” that reflects the collaborative spirit and hard-earned insights from nearly twenty years in music.
Leading the rollout is the lively new single “Cumberland Banks”, buoyed by banjo from Matt Menefee of Mumford & Sons and dobro from Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass. Inspired by a thunderstorm near the Cumberland River, the song is a nostalgic yet playful tribute to Southern summer nights.
“Canoeing down the Cumberland River was a favorite pastime of ours, until the day we found ourselves huddled under a bridge fearing for our lives in the midst of a Tennessee thunderstorm. This song is that story told in the form of a late-night summertime John Hartford and Roger Miller pick-along,” Bluhm shares.
Recorded live in just five days, Rancho Deluxe features an all-star lineup, including Kai Welch (Kacey Musgraves), Jess Nolan (Jenny Lewis), and Cameron Neal (Elle King, Shakey Graves). Bluhm describes the album as a “harvest record,” one that captures the fruits of personal and creative growth.
“We were focused on catching the moment, being in the room together, and experiencing something communally,” she explains.
Bluhm’s previous projects include the 2023 Cher tribute The Beat Goes On and 2022’s Avondale Drive, which earned praise from Relix, PopMatters, The Bluegrass Situation, and Americana UK, the latter declaring she “might have invented a whole new genre of music with her latest solo album.”
A native of San Francisco, Bluhm has shared the stage with music legends like Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, bringing together her signature blend of rock, California country, and soulful indie-folk. With Rancho Deluxe, she continues to carve her own path—unconcerned with industry pressures, instead choosing to expand on her own terms.
“I’m growing, I’m reflecting, and I’m recalibrating. I’m forging ahead in a new way, but doing it on my own terms this time,” Bluhm affirms.
This summer, Bluhm is touring across the country, including a July 31 performance in San Francisco as part of The Heart of Town, a three-night concert series honoring the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary. She will then return to Nashville in September to perform at AmericanaFest.
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