Luke James Williams has announced his second album ‘Limes Hotel,’ due this April, alongside the release of new single “Hollows and Branches,” and both arrive carrying real emotional weight. The Cambridgeshire folk artist wrote the single in memory of a close friend, a tribute to someone who shaped his relationship with the natural world in ways that clearly never left him. Listen here.
“I wrote this song remembering an old friend who is sadly no longer with us,” Williams shares. “She instilled in me a profound love of nature and the idea that we are all one with the natural world around us.” The track reflects that deeply, built on spare, atmospheric instrumentation and Williams’ unmistakably English vocal, rising slowly and letting its emotional core find the surface on its own terms. It’s quietly arresting in the best possible way.
‘Limes Hotel’ was shaped by an intense period of grief following the loss of two close friends. Across eleven tracks, Williams moves through mortality, belief, and connection, but the record ultimately reaches toward renewal. “New shoots reaching up towards the sun,” as he puts it. “The hope and promise of new life rising from the darkness.” For an album born in darkness, that instinct toward light is what makes it worth leaning into.
“Hollows and Branches” is the third single from the album, following “Seeds” and “Ends,” and has already earned airplay from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Introducing, and Amazing Radio. Williams’ debut album ‘Our Blood Is Red’ earned Bandcamp’s New & Notable recognition and support from Tom Robinson, Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq, and Tom Ravenscroft. ‘Limes Hotel’ builds on that foundation with something deeper and more fully realized.
A UK tour follows the album’s release, with dates running through July.
Luke James Williams 2026 Tour Dates:
May 6 — London @ The Harrison
May 8 — Sheffield @ Mary Street Live
May 14 — Coventry @ LTB Showrooms
May 15 — Bury @ Wax and Beans
June 12 — Cambridge @ Junction J3
July 23 — Bishops Stortford @ South Mill Arts