Canadian roots, rock and soul outfit Bywater Call have released their second studio single of 2026, ‘How Long’, taken from their forthcoming fourth studio album due in July.
If you’ve been following this band’s trajectory over the past few years, you’ll know they’ve been on an absolute tear. Joe Bonamassa has publicly championed them, and they’ve been nominated for the UK Blues Award for International Act of the Year three years running.
This is Bywater Call at their most experimental. Influenced by Black Pumas, Brittany Howard and Amy Winehouse, ‘How Long’ is a slow burn contemporary soul track that starts restrained and haunting before flowering into something intensely cathartic. There are soaring horns, lead synths and a hypnotic guitar feature, but it’s Meghan Parnell’s voice that anchors everything. She has spoken about the track wrestling with guilt, fragility and the fear of becoming the thing you never wanted to be. It’s raw, introspective stuff.
What makes Bywater Call special is that seven piece dynamic. The interplay between Parnell’s powerhouse vocals, Dave Barnes’ guitar work, and that killer horn section of Stephen Dyte and Julian Nalli creates something that’s bigger than any individual part. They’re a live band first and foremost, and even on record you can feel that energy.
The band are touring extensively through Europe and North America in 2026, with European dates running through May and June including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. UK dates are expected to be announced soon. Keep an eye on bywatercall.com for updates.
