Lankum's Radie Peat announces debut solo album 'No Human Tongue Can Tell' with stirring new single 'The Moon and Stars'

Radie Peat, the frontwoman of the Irish folk duo Lankum, has stepped into the spotlight as a solo artist with her forthcoming album No Human Tongue Can Tell. The release, slated for 13 November via Rough Trade Records, comes after she unveiled a new single, “The Moon and Stars,” that reclaims traditional folk verses to confront the hidden pains of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. For Peat, the project is a personal pilgrimage spanning fifteen years, a chance to channel ancestral voices through her own lens and to give agency to women’s stories that have long been muted.

In “The Moon and Stars,” Peat rewrites classic folk lines, inserting coded references to miscarriage and the herb rue, historically used to induce abortion. She describes the track as a conduit for “experiences from the woman’s perspective, to connect us with her experience.” By doing so, she transforms a genre known for its historical distance into an urgent, contemporary commentary on reproductive rights. The single’s haunting melody pairs with sharp, almost spoken-word verses, creating a sonic space where the past and present collide. It signals that folk music is not a relic but a living dialogue about the body and the politics that shape it.

Peat’s journey to this album began in her twenties when a documentary on Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells sparked an ambition: to write and play every part of a record, mirroring the layered orchestration of Oldfield’s work. She admits that the idea of being “limited by your own mind and abilities, with all the blind spots and personal preferences,” appealed to her. This self‑production ethos is evident in the tracklist, where she blends traditional songs like “Still I Love Him” with original compositions such as “Hares on the Mountain” and “Luisne.” The album becomes a mosaic of centuries of female struggle, love, and endurance, stitched together by Peat’s own hands.

Rough Trade Records, known for championing avant‑garde and genre‑blending artists, provides an ideal home for Peat’s work. The label’s history of supporting politically engaged musiciansthink The Stooges and Sufjan Stewartaligns with Peat’s intent to foreground women’s narratives within folk. By releasing the album under Rough Trade, Peat gains access to a global audience that appreciates both the authenticity of traditional music and its modern reinterpretations. The partnership also signals a broader industry shift: indie labels are increasingly becoming vessels for socially conscious art, especially in the folk and indie‑rock spheres.

Peat is already charting a tour that will span London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, and beyond. The first shows, scheduled for November 3 in London’s Union Chapel and November 20 at Dublin’s Vicar Street, will serve as a testbed for the album’s material. By performing in intimate venues, she can gauge audience reaction to the politically charged lyrics before the full album drops. The tour’s European scope reflects the transnational appeal of folk music that speaks to shared histories and contemporary struggles. It also positions Peat as a cultural bridge between Ireland’s traditional soundscape and the wider European folk revival.

Peat’s solo venture is part of a larger movement where folk musicians are re‑asserting the genre’s capacity for protest and personal storytelling. Artists like Sufjan Stewart, Laura Marling, and Sharon Jones have similarly used traditional frameworks to address modern issues. This trend indicates that folk is no longer a nostalgic niche but a dynamic medium for activism. Peat’s focus on reproductive rights and female agency places her firmly within this wave, suggesting that future folk releases will continue to tackle pressing social topics while honoring ancestral roots.

Given the critical reception of “The Moon and Stars” and the supportive infrastructure from Rough Trade, it is likely that other folk artists will follow suit, launching solo projects that reinterpret traditional songs through contemporary lenses. The success of this approach may encourage indie labels to invest more heavily in folk acts that blend historical authenticity with modern activism. If Peat’s album charts within the top 20 of the UK Folk Albums chart, it will validate this model and inspire a surge of similar releases over the next two years.

The forthcoming album promises to be a landmark in the folk genre, marrying the weight of history with the urgency of today’s feminist discourse. As Radie Peat steps into the spotlight, she invites listeners to hear the centuries of women’s voices that have been waiting for a modern platform. The world will be listening.