American Aquarium’s New Ways to Lose “Showcases The Band At The Top Of Its Game” (Rolling Stone)

Watch live performance of album standout “Dollar General” HERE

“A balance between sentimental tracks about dogs and family and left-of-Democrats socio-political critiques.”

-No Depression

Extensive U.S./UK tour runs through November

July 9, 2026 - On American Aquarium’s new album New Ways to Lose, BJ Barham and his band of road warriors turn two decades of survival into a driving, deeply-felt rock & roll statement — one built on resilience, reinvention, and the hard-earned clarity that only comes with time. Produced once again by multi-time Grammy winner Shooter Jennings, the album was recorded in Los Angeles over a 10-day session that captured the band at their most immediate and alive. Much of the record was tracked live, with Jennings encouraging spontaneity and instinct over perfection, while a round of overdubs offered the opportunity to add three-part harmonies and horn arrangements to the songs. The result is a muscular, cinematic record that embraces both sides of American Aquarium's identity: the bruised confessionals of a songwriter who's already spent decades sharpening his craft, and the full-throttle release of an anthemic, amplified rock & roll band.

On album standout “Dollar General,” Barham rails against the death of small towns, and in one of his most pointed lyrics declares “Greatest trick ever played was taking our voice/ And giving us two sides and the allusion of choice/ It ain’t left versus right, it’s bottom versus top/ Until we figure it out this ain’t gonna stop.”

“I wrote this song with my buddy Colin Nash shortly after we took him out on the road with us last year,” explains Barham. “It stemmed from a conversation about a town so bad off, that even the Dollar General couldn't make it. At its root, it speaks to the downfall of small town America. The rich are getting richer at the expense of the working class and until we all unite and stand up against this class warfare, it’s not going to get better.” 

For Barham — who formed the band in 2006 in Raleigh, North Carolina — the album isn't just a snapshot on a band at its peak. It's a personal turning point, too. "All of my records are yearbooks," he says. "Twenty years from now, I'll pull them off the shelf and remember exactly who I was when I wrote them." If earlier albums offered glimpses of a man in his 20s, making his way through a haze of uncertainty, heartache, and bad behavior, then New Ways to Lose finds Barham writing from a place of hard-won maturity. He's not just a songwriter anymore; he's a husband, father, and bandleader who's fully comfortable confronting the dark corners of the human experience. Across these ten songs, he tackles themes like the downfall of small-town America (“Dollar General”), the yearning for true connection (“Out There In The Dark”), the socioeconomic wreckage of unconstitutional politics (“History Repeats Itself”), and even the devastation of losing a beloved pet (“Favorite Hello”), making room for tenderness and gratitude amidst the sonic stomp of his band.

Released independently through Barham's own Losing Side Records, New Ways to Lose doubles down on the freedom that American Aquarium have spent two decades fighting for. They own their publishing. They answer to nobody. And while the industry continues chasing trends, American Aquarium are still doing things their own way — including dropping the album just two weeks after announcing it. "We take our hits and we get back up," Barham says, "and we do what we do. There are three things you can count on: death, taxes, and American Aquarium showing up to your town once a year to play a rock & roll show." 

Twenty years and twenty albums in, American Aquarium aren’t chasing validation anymore. They've built something bigger: a career on their own terms, a loyal community, and a catalog that continues to evolve without compromise. New Ways to Lose doesn't sound like a band slowing down. It sounds like winning — like musicians who know exactly who they are.

American Aquarium 2026 Tour Dates

August 13 - Floyd, VA - Warren G. Lineberry Park

August 14 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium

August 15 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre

August 16 - Washington DC - Union Stage

August 17 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair

August 18 - New York, NY - Racket

August 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall

August 20 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

August 21 - Des Moines, IA - xBk

August 22 - Lincoln, NE - Memorial Stadium

September 3 - Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall

September 4 - Wilmington, NC - Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre

September 5 - Snowshoe, WV - Snowshoe Mountain Resort - Ballhooter Festival

September 6 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry

September 7 - Philadelphia, PA - World Stage

September 8 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

September 9 - Detroit, MI - Magic Bag

September 10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave

September 11 - Madison, IN - Unbroken Circle Festival

September 12 - St. Louis, MO - The Old Rockhouse

September 13 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

September 15 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rhythm Room

September 16 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre

September 17 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop

September 18 - Bend, OR - Silver Moon Brewery

September 19 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater

September 20 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile

September 22 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Boise

September 23 - Bozeman, MT - Tune Up Bar

September 24 - Salt Lake City, UT - Soundwell

September 25 - Denver, CO - Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

September 26 - Lubbock, TX - Cactus Theater

September 27 - Dallas, TX - Longhorn Ballroom

September 28 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall - 1884 Lounge

October 22 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads - The Saloon

October 23 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom

October 24 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre

October 25 - Saint Paul, MN - Turf Club

October 26 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon

October 27 - Davenport, IA - Racoon Motel

October 28 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theatre

October 29 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation

October 30 - Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe

October 31 - Indianapolis, IN - Hi-Fi Indy

November 1 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom

November 7 - Groningen, NL - Take Root Festival

November 8 - Hassocks, UK - Mid Sussex Music Hall

November 9 - London, UK - The 100 Club

November 10 - Cambridge, UK - Mash

November 11 - Manchester, UK - New Century

November 12 - Bristol, UK - Thekla

November 28 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

November 29 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

November 30 - Orlando, FL - The Social

December 1 - Mobile, AL - The Merry Widow

December 2 - New Orleans, LA - Chickie Wah Wah

December 3 - Houston, TX - The Heights Theater

December 6 - Wichita, KS - WAVE

December 7 - Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge

December 8 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's

December 9 - Little Rock, AR - White Water Tavern

December 10 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn

December 11 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room - Greenville