When Delta Rae first took flight in North Carolina roughly a decade ago, it was a folky four-piece centered around the hair-raising harmonies and songwriting of the Hölljes siblings—Ian (guitar, vocals), Eric (piano, guitar, vocals), and Brittany (vocals)—and their longtime friend, Liz Hopkins (vocals). As the band’s sound began to evolve, so did its lineup, and the following year, they added Mike McKee (drums) and Grant Emerson (bass) to help flesh out their singular mix of Gothic American roots and gospel-tinged country. On the strength of an early EP, the band landed a major label deal for their full-length debut, Carry The Fire, which came out to rave reviews in 2012, with Rolling Stone calling it a “unique blend of blue-eyed soul and Americana rock” and NPR hailing the “bluesy roar” of its “modern folklore.” The music racked up more than 30 million streams on Spotify, landed the band in the studio with Lindsey Buckingham, and helped earn them performances on The Tonight Show and Conan alongside festival slots at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and more. In 2015, they followed it up with After It All, a similarly acclaimed sophomore album that debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

By the time the band moved to Nashville and signed to powerhouse label Big Machine in 2017, they seemed poised for superstardom, but instead, Delta Rae found themselves in limbo, unable to record the music they felt most passionate about. Rather than give up, the band struck out on their own, leaving their contract and launching a Kickstarter in hopes of raising the $30,000 they needed to fund the record themselves. Within hours, they’d blown through their goal, and by the time the dust had settled, they’d shattered all previous records, raising nearly a half-million dollars from supporters to become the most-funded indie band in the platform’s history.

The Light marks Delta Rae’s first full-length independent release as well as the start of a bold new chapter that includes a companion album The Dark, an immersive theater production, a live record, and more.