SPILL NEWS: THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE SHARE NEW SINGLE “THE HUNT IN EDSON” + SELECT U.S. TOUR DATES FOR FEBRUARY 2026

THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE SHARE NEW SINGLE “THE HUNT IN EDSON” + SELECT U.S. TOUR DATES FOR FEBRUARY 2026

PAPER BAG RECORDS

Following a SOLD OUT, headline gig for the Paper Bag Records showcase at Wintersong this past weekend, The Rural Alberta Advantage (The RAA) share a new single, “The Hunt In Edson” (Paper Bag Records /Saddle Creek) and announce their upcoming U.S. tour, which kicks off early next month.

“I’m always surprised how the small events in life worm their way into our songs, or even multiple moments that seem unrelated at the time,” remarks Nils. “Several years ago, on a beautiful summer morning, my wife woke me up with a jolt when she realized that our cat Edson had brought a mouse into our bed. As surprised as I was, the mouse in Edson’s jaw was even more surprised when it was dropped and hit the bed, having been granted a new lease on life. From there, the mouse scurried up my leg, trying to make a break for freedom, and ended up behind the bed. The next several minutes involved a comical level of chaos between us all, before I managed to trap the mouse and release it back into the yard. Around the same time, a friend let me know that they had received some life-changing news, and opened the conversation with a quote I was unfamiliar with . . . ‘nothing concentrates the mind like a noose around your neck’. Somehow, both of these unrelated events kept popping up in my head as I was working on this song, wondering what the mouse must have thought about his unlikely escape that summer morning and how much it differed from what was going through my own mind in that morning.”

The RAA begin their upcoming U.S. tour on February 5 in San Francisco, and will play some of the band’s favourite clubs as they weave their way to Northampton, MA on February 19. The band recently made the heart-wrenching decision to cancel their show in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can read the full statement via The RAA’s Instagram account.

The RAA returned this past October with the single, “Falling Apart,” released in conjunction with a European tour. These two new singles follow The RAA’s acclaimed 5th full-length, 2023’s amalgam LP, The Rise & The Fall, which earned praise from outlets such as Stereogum, FLOOD, The Toronto Star, CBCMusic, Exclaim, and the UK’s Independent newspaper who included the album in their ’30 Best Albums of 2023′ noting, “Since Neutral Milk Hotel entered the wilderness, Toronto’s The Rural Alberta Advantage have been upholding the demented fuzz-folk mantle.”

Tour Dates

February 5, 2026 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
February 6, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA @ Peppermint Club
February 7, 2026 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
February 12, 2026 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
February 17, 2026 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
February 18, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
February 19, 2026 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: Jess Baumung