Free Throw have announced their sixth studio album Moments Before The Wind, due out March 27, 2026, and it feels like a record shaped by reflection rather than momentum.
The Nashville quintet have always thrived on emotional honesty, but this time the focus shifts to something quieter and more uncertain. The album centres around the idea of liminality, those moments in life where everything feels suspended, where change is happening but clarity has not caught up yet. Vocalist and guitarist Cory Castro describes it as being stuck in a doorway or an endless hallway, and that image runs through the entire record.
The first single “A Hero’s Grave” offers an immediate snapshot of that mindset. Built on a winding guitar line and a subtle 90s groove, the track feels instinctive and unpolished in the best way. Castro’s vocals sit front and centre, raw and direct, giving the song a lived in quality that feels true to where the band are right now.
Once again, Free Throw returned to longtime producer Brett Romnes, recording the album across two sessions split by touring. Stepping away between sessions gave the band fresh perspective, and when they returned, they trusted their instincts rather than overthinking the process. That approach led to moments of spontaneity that shape the emotional core of the record.
Lyrically, Moments Before The Wind documents a period of major personal change for Castro. The album traces the breakdown of a long term relationship, the struggle to move forward, and the slow realisation that what was lost may have been what mattered most. Midway through recording, everything shifted again when Castro learned he was going to become a father, a moment that directly inspired the closing track “The Waters Of Life”. It feels like the emotional resolution the album has been quietly building towards.
The album’s title is pulled from Mark Z. Danielewski’s cult novel House of Leaves, referencing life as something fragile and constantly rearranging itself. That idea carries through to the artwork too, which mirrors the surreal mental spaces explored throughout the record.
Alongside the album announcement, Free Throw have confirmed a North American tour running from April into May, before heading to the UK this summer for festival appearances, including 2000trees.
Ultimately, Moments Before The Wind finds Free Throw still moving forward, but more aware than ever that growth is not always loud or linear. It is a record about standing still long enough to understand where you are, before stepping into whatever comes next.
