Critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Virginia MacNaughton has unveiled a powerful new double A-side single, Wolf Moon and The Thread, offering a deeper glimpse into her forthcoming third album The Thread, due for release on 27th February.
Virginia MacNaughton
The new songs continue the story first introduced by lead single Gravity, released in October 2025, which set the emotional tone for the record. Written in the aftermath of an intense but short-lived romance that ended in heartbreak, The Thread began taking shape in October 2020 when MacNaughton sat at the piano to process the devastation of rejection. The first song, she recalls, was simply “already there.”
The title track The Thread captures the lingering pull of that connection — the sense of a lover’s presence woven into everything. Marked by Felix Burling’s haunting flugelhorn, the song balances intimacy with quiet grandeur. In contrast, Wolf Moon signals a shift in perspective. With its subtle jazz inflections, it marks a turning point in the narrative — the loosening of emotional ties and the first glimmers of healing.
Written and arranged by MacNaughton alongside platinum-selling producer William Jackson, the album was recorded at Eiger Studios in Leeds. By 2021, the record was nearly complete — but life intervened. MacNaughton lost her father, and in the spring of 2025, her wife of four and a half years also passed away.
Now arriving in 2026, The Thread stands as both a document of heartbreak and a testament to resilience. “I had to complete the circle,” MacNaughton explains. The album closes with a Bach prelude — a piece her father loved and taught her to play as a child — serving as a poignant tribute. Even the cover photograph, depicting MacNaughton aged two with her father and sister, reinforces the deeply personal nature of the project.
Despite the immense grief surrounding its creation, The Thread is described as sonically uplifting — a sweeping reflection of life’s turbulence, from destructive obsession to enduring love and, ultimately, recovery. Drawing on MacNaughton’s background in blending pop, rock, folk and classical orchestration, the album promises a rich and emotionally immersive listening experience.
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