Sarah McCombie, one half of the Americana duo Chatham Rabbits alongside her husband Austin, is tired of the notion that it’s one or the other—a career or a family, a dream or relationships. “As a woman in her thirties, I am reaching big moments in my career, but I’m just a few years shy of what is considered a geriatric pregnancy,” she says. “How messed up is that? I want to have a badass touring career and keep taking risks, find ways to be deeply creative, and have meaningful relationships, but I also want to have a kid—all without maternity leave, less-than-desirable healthcare, and a country where politicians have more say over my body than I do.”

Today, Glide Magazine premiered “Collateral Damage,” a meditation on what it means to try to do both in this day and age and the toll it takes to chase it all at once, from Chatham Rabbits’ upcoming LP, Be Real With Me. “How do we harness our desires without wreaking havoc along the way?” McCombie asks. “The older I get, the more I care about having it all while simultaneously realizing that, to do that, I’m probably going to have to ruffle some feathers along the way.”

“It’s all been coming to me lately, the time I have for it is fading,” she sings in the galloping, clawhammer banjo-driven verses of “Collateral Damage,” with an unapologetic longing. A well-executed demonstration of recognizing all emotions and desires at once and being able to articulate the whole of it, “Collateral Damage” is also a heads-up to those around her: “This is my goal, and I’m going to make it work.” It’s an empowering message to anyone who’s felt the need to fit themselves into one box or the other.

“I want it all, I want it fast,
I want my youth and luck to last,
My problem to solve, my paradox to manage,
I’ll make you collateral damage.”

Fans can stream or purchase “Collateral Damage” today at this link, hear Chatham Rabbits’ previously released single, “Matador,” here, and pre-order or pre-save Be Real With Me ahead of its Valentine’s Day release right here. Chatham Rabbits hit the road again on February 12th for the Be Real With Me tour. A full list of dates can be found below or at chathamrabbits.com/tour.

About Be Real With Me:
Due out on February 14, 2025, Be Real With Me is more than the vows, banjos, and vintage dresses Chatham Rabbits might have been known for previously. The music can speak for itself, but Sarah is happy to share a little insight into their process and progress. “We got married so young,” she says. “We are simply not the same people we once were because playing music for a living has consumed and transformed us. This lifestyle has presented us with exhausting tour schedules, vulnerable songs that force us to talk about our marriage, difficult business decisions, and the ever-complicated dilemma of mixing art and money and friends and employees.” The result is a universal reckoning with responsibility and growth—two real people spending their lives and careers together and collectively facing the ups and downs of it all.

Fans will hear that growth in the music as well. “We’ve never been a bluegrass band, but being from North Carolina, we cannot ignore the regional influences all around us,” says Austin. “We sampled organic tones and manipulated them into synth pads and percussive elements on this record. It feels like a natural progression because the foundational components of our music are still there—we’ve just added to it.” Written post-pandemic by Sarah and Austin and recorded over two years at The Studio at Small Pond Farm in Pittsboro, North Carolina, Be Real With Me was co-produced by Austin McCombie and the band’s longtime collaborator, Saman Khoujinian (The Dead Tongues, Lou Hazel). On this album, fans will still hear Sarah’s banjo, but alongside it are elements like drum machines, synthesizers, and pedal steel. However, it’s the self-reflecting, earnest lyrics that show the most growth from the McCombies.

Be Real With Me Tracklist:

Facing 29
Matador
Gas Money
Childhood Friends
Big Fish, Small Pond
Did I Really Know Him
One Little Orange
Collateral Damage
Pool Shark’s Table

Catch Chatham Rabbits on Tour:

• Feb. 12 - Analog at Hutton Hotel - Nashville, TN
• Feb. 13 - App Theatre - Boone, NC
• Feb. 14 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
• Feb. 15 - Eddie’s Attic - Decatur, GA
• Feb. 21 - State Theater - Greenville, NC
• Feb. 22-23 - Haw River Ballroom - Graham, NC
• Feb. 27 - Richmond Music Hall - Richmond, VA
• Feb. 28 - The Southern Cafe and Music Hall - Charlottesville, VA
• March 1 - Jammin’ Java - Washington, DC
• March 4 - Joe’s Pub - New York, NY
• March 6 - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA
• March 7 - Back Porch Fest - Northampton, MA
• March 8 - The Wood Barn - Exeter, NH
• March 9 - Caffe Lena - Saratoga Springs, NY
• March 13 - Lyric Theatre - Blacksburg, VA
• March 14 - The Burl - Lexington, KY
• March 15 - The Monarch Music and Arts Community - Louisville, KY
• March 16 - Laurel Theatre - Knoxville, TN
• March 27 - Charleston Pour House - Charleston, SC
• March 28 - Kenan Auditorium - Wilmington, NC
• March 29 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC

For ticket information, please visit chathamrabbits.com/tour.