FOY VANCE: The Wake World Tour

During a performance on the Spanish island of Lanzarote in January 1999, the Northern Irish-born singer-songwriter experienced a moment of unparalleled transcendence on stage and learned the following morning that his father had suffered a fatal heart attack that very night.

Overwhelmed by grief and a driving clarity, Vance immediately resolved to create seven albums inspired by the loss of his father—a traveling preacher who relocated the family to the American South when Vance was a baby and who set him on his path in life through early childhood guitar lessons. Alternately shattering, ecstatic, and profoundly illuminating, "The Wake" reveals an artist intensely dedicated to preserving the human spirit in an often unforgiving world.

Produced by Ethan Johns (the Brit Award-winning producer known for his work with Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, and others), The Wake brings together Vance's raw vocals in a powerful fusion of folk, soul, and southern blues, imbuing every moment with unbridled vitality.

In his intimate exploration of human existence, the Scotland-based artist reflects on deeply personal themes (such as fatherhood and heartbreak) as well as existential questions (the fleeting nature of time and the looming crisis of unchecked AI). As the final installment in an album series that began with his 2007 debut "Hope"—and which also includes outstanding works such as 2016's "The Wild Swan" (executively produced by Elton John), 2019's "From Muscle Shoals and To Memphis" (recorded at the historic FAME Studios and Sam Phillips Recording Studios, respectively), and 2021's "Signs of Life" (partly recorded at Vance's home in the Scottish Highlands)—the result represents the purest culmination of his truly unique art to date, lending a defiant joy to songs about longing, loss, and hard-won acceptance.