Dispatch announces 9th studio album, 'Yellow Jacket'; new single, 'Whisk Me Away'

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Celebrated folk-rock band Dispatch has released their new single “Whisk Me Away” (press here to listen), alongside the announcement of their forthcoming ninth studio album, “Yellow Jacket,” out June 6 via Bomber Records/AWAL Recordings.

“Whisk Me Away” dives into deep themes of life’s fragility and redemption, capturing the raw urgency of a desperate plea to not be taken from this earth just yet. Toward its emotional peak, the refrain – “feel alive again, feel alive again, feel alive again” – rings out like both a cry and a celebration, anchoring the track in hope, revival and the stubborn will to keep going.

Musically, the track serves as a standout moment for the band, blending a Southern rock spirit with a folk-rooted rhythm that moves the body as much as the heart. Twin lead guitars – reminiscent of the Allman Brothers – duel and dance over driving drums and rich instrumentals, building a sound that’s both expansive and intimate.

The single also marks a first for the band, as longtime member Matt Embree takes the spotlight with a powerful lead-vocal performance, adding a new texture to Dispatch’s evolving sound. It’s a bold, electrifying addition to their legacy – one that continues to explore human experience with introspection and unshakable groove.

The band returned “home” to Boston to record and produce nearly all of “Yellow Jacket” with Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studios, and the 11-song collection of music harkens back to the infectious blend of reggae, ska and roots rock that built the band’s heralded career and dedicated fanbase.

“For us, this album is a way to acknowledge what our culture is facing and the effects of the abuse of power,” Chadwick Stokes said. “In this album, you’ll find the effects war has on family in ‘Johnny Whoops’; the complexity and brilliance of Emily Dickinson’s words in ‘Trinket (ft. John Butler)’; and we pay homage to the great activists of our time alongside Ani DiFranco on ‘In the Street,’ as a reminder of how crucial it is to not sit back idly. But mostly, our goal with this album is for listeners to enjoy the tunes in whatever way, hopefully at times collectively, and in community.”

Dispatch will kick off their summer tour alongside John Butler (with band) and special guests G. Love & Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter and Illiterate Light (select dates) on June 3 in St. Augustine, Florida. The mammoth, 35-date outing is on sale now – press here for tickets and more information.

Throughout its rise, the band has taken every opportunity to use success for good, launching charitable organizations to fight inequality and mass incarceration, raising funds and awareness for environmental causes, schools and hospitals on the road, and even traveling as far afield as Zimbabwe to work with children and communities in need. Stokes’ Calling All Crows joins bands and fans together in collective activism that has raised more than half a million dollars for feminist movements, while Brad Corrigan’s Love Light + Melody helps amplify the stories of children who live in extreme poverty.

“Ileana’s Smile,” the award-winning documentary film directed by Corrigan, which will be released worldwide next month, is an inspiring story of a girl who endures life in a trash dump in Managua, Nicaragua, and the devastating choices she faces. The film is being released to raise awareness for child vulnerability and to fund Ileana’s School of Hope – ensuring that every child is safe to flourish and has a chance to write their own story. The film also features the original Dispatch song “Darker Light” (out May 23). For more information, press here.

Stokes’ has written a new rock opera called “1972.” Still in the workshop phase, it’s the story of a 19-year-old pregnant woman named Hannah who flees an abusive relationship and joins a band of outcasts jumping freight trains across America. Hannah’s harrowing journey ultimately leads her to the “Janes,” the underground network of courageous women who took extreme risks to provide solace, hope and care to women in complicated times.

Some influential women are involved in the development of “1972.” Jessie Nelson (“Waitress”) is directing, and the musical is co-produced by Stokes’ Calling All Crows co-founder Sybil Gallagher, Dori Berinstein (Stereophonic, Legally Blonde) and activist Laurie David (“Fed Up,” “An Inconvenient Truth”). After short runs in New York, Boston and Chicago, including a three-night, sold-out stint at Joe’s Pub, an upcoming workshop performance is planned for NY’s The Cutting Room on May 21. Press here for tickets and more information.

Formed by Stokes and Corrigan while in college in Vermont, Dispatch has forged their own path outside the mainstream music industry as one of the most successful artists in the roots rock scene. Over the course of a slew of acclaimed studio and live albums and countless tours and festivals, the band has gone on to become one of biggest success stories in independent music history, selling out three nights at Madison Square Garden and drawing over 100,000 fans to a massive outdoor show in their adopted hometown of Boston without any traditional radio or major label support. For more information, visit www.dispatchmusic.com.

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