Al Nicol has shared a new single alongside the release of ‘Only Hoping (Deluxe),’ the expanded edition of his debut full-length released in 2025. Produced by Patrick Damphier (The Arcs, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Aaron Lee Tasjan) and featuring emerging indie sister duo lighthearted, “Blue Stained Glass” is warm, wistful, and gently psychedelic. It arrives in the form of an official music video created by Jesse Weeden, Nada Temerinski and Alex Seltzer—an intimate and endearing insight to the making of the song.
“I’ve been a fan of lighthearted for a while, so to be able to work on the song together and sing with them has been a real treat, a real honor,” shares Nicol. “They bring such uplifting energy (and of course gorgeous harmony) to the song. Together with Patrick’s production choices and mix, I am really happy with how it turned out.”
“I wanted to write a song that told the story of someone who knew deep down their person would enter their life soon, even in their moment of deepest struggle,” Nicol notes of the single. “It’s a song about the strength of hope in the face of loneliness—finding and nurturing a belief and vision within oneself that things will work out. To see the world through a blue stained glass is to be optimistic, hopeful, aspirational.”
‘Only Hoping Deluxe’ features songs from the original album produced by GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer Hiss Golden Messenger, as well as new, intimate acoustic renditions, such as “You and Me” featuring LA folk gem Johanna Samuels and today’s fresh singles among others, all produced by Damphier. Nicol relocated from Montreal to Nashville in 2025. Music City suits the songwriter, who’s known to collaborate. The original ‘Only Hoping’ features contributions from members of Bonny Light Horseman and Erin Rae. Crafting a sound that ranges from airy and ethereal to downright twangy, Nicol’s music has appealed to champions at Spotify’s Fresh Folk, KCRW, KEXP, Lightning 100, WXPN and more.
Featured image by Nada Temerinski.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://www.alnicol.com/
https://www.instagram.com/alnicol__/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7MlkcMZ5n9BgU5wNgYcNvu
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpekvnnKPD4AjtxQGHi9iig
https://www.tiktok.com/@alnicol__