Portland indie-folk mainstay Laura Veirs has announced her latest studio effort, Temple Songs, set for release this August. The announcement arrives alongside the lead single, “Flying Into Darkness,” a track that highlights the artist’s evolution into a fully self-contained creative force.

Temple Songs marks a significant milestone in Veirs’ storied career, as it is the first album she has written, recorded, arranged, produced, and performed entirely on her own. According to a press release, the project is a testament to her singular vision, with Veirs handling guitars, bass, drums, tambourine, and percussion, as well as all vocal duties. The only external contribution to the record comes in the form of a saxophone performance by a “secret special guest.”

“Flying Into Darkness” offers a glimpse into the album’s minimal, introspective soundscape. While the track lacks the aforementioned saxophone, it is rich with lyrical depth, including a subtle nod to Talking Heads’ “Once In A Lifetime.” The song finds Veirs grappling with existential uncertainty and the difficulty of finding rest in a turbulent world.

This song comes from a feeling of being existentially unmoored in a dark, uncertain moment. I kept circling the same questions: how do I stay grounded? How do I feel like I’m doing some real good, nudging things–even slightly–in a better direction? At its core, the song wrestles with restlessness–how hard it is to find true rest when the world keeps us in a constant state of unease. There’s also a thread of “No Masters” running through it, which shows up across the album. I’m reaching for a world shaped more by freedom and love than by greed and fear, and all the ways those forces show up in daily life: hollow work, vast inequality, systems that feel too big to push against, and the steady backdrop of violence and conflict.

Watch the official video for “Flying Into Darkness” below:

Temple Songs is scheduled for release on August 14 via Veirs’ own Raven Marching Band Records.