Tough Love

by Simon Joyner

Tough Love cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 22 May 2026
  • Label: Grapefruit
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 1:20:06
  • Community rating: 3.26/5 from 9 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Carving out a legendary independent path over three decades, Omaha singer-songwriter Simon Joyner returns with his nineteenth studio album, 'Tough Love'. Published as a double LP in Europe via BB*Island, the record functions as a fictional and political exploration of complex personal crises, written in the deep grief following his son's passing. The ragged acoustic tracks are prodded by electric guitars, microtonal synth scratches, and Vince Petitjean's production, culminating in a devastating, twenty-minute title suite of regret, survival, and ultimate self-forgiveness.

Genres

Descriptors: double album, Grief, Personal, loss, Acoustic, folk, lo-fi, storytelling, acoustic, narrative

Tracklist

  1. Annelie (05:16)
  2. Wild Palms (05:48)
  3. Drowning Man (04:45)
  4. Two Black Irises (03:38)
  5. Vagabond (04:11)
  6. Isn't This How the Story Always Begins? (07:11)
  7. Winter Says (05:34)
  8. Last Call for Karaoke (03:15)
  9. In a Room Like This (04:08)
  10. How to Talk to Your Man (03:57)
  11. Allegiances (06:30)
  12. Anniversary Song (05:41)
  13. Tough Love (20:12)

Credits

  • Simon Joyner - primary artist
  • Caleb Dailey - backing vocals [the nervous stars]
  • Micah Dailey - backing vocals [the nervous stars]
  • Michael Krassner - backing vocals [the nervous stars], engineer, mixed by
  • Mike Marasco - backing vocals [the nervous stars]
  • Sara Adkisson Joyner - design, layout
  • Mark Gilbert - drawing
  • Adam Gonsalves - mastered by
  • Ben Brodin - organ
  • Laraine Kaizer - strings
  • Megan Siebe - strings

More from Simon Joyner: full discography