Johanna Warren crafts heartbreak in a way that few others can match. The Florida-born, Wales-based singer-songwriter possesses a gift for weaving devastating ballads that convey a raw, primal longing, cresting with the jagged intensity of 2020’s “Twisted.” Now, following the May release of “brave & capable,” she returns with “Islamorada,” a further poignant track that draws power from a plea.
“It feels weirdly radical to be an adult woman in 2026 simply saying I want you, I love you, I would take care of you, please let me try,” Warren explains. “In this time of mass disenchantment and dissociation, I think there’s power in owning your desire, and taking the risk of expressing it — which, yeah, puts you in a vulnerable position, because you might not get what you want, or you might get called cringe.”
Despite her gloomy tendencies, Warren infuses “Islamorada” with a sense of hope and momentum, a quality enhanced by Chris St Hilaire of the Black Keys on electric guitar and by pedal steel from David Rothon, a collaborator with Marissa Nadler. Hear it below.
