Famed for her collaborations with then-husband Richard Thompson on such landmark recordings as I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights, celebrated English singer-songwriter and folk icon Linda Thompson announces the release of Proxy Music, her first solo album since 2013’s Won’t Be Long Now.

Thompson suffers from a rare vocal condition known as spasmodic dysphonia, which affects her ability to talk and sing. Consequently, the aptly-titled Proxy Music places her impressively versatile songwriting chops at the service of a stellar handpicked cast, with 11 new Thompson-penned tunes performed by artists including Rufus Wainwright (listen to his deliciously svelte ‘Darling This Will Never Do’), Martha Wainwright, Eliza Carthy, The Proclaimers, John Grant, Dori Freeman, The Unthanks and Ren Havieu.

Joining this impressive roster are several talented members of Thompson’s own family, including daughter Kami, who lends her dulcet pipes to the lilting fairground ride of a single, ‘Solitary Traveller’. Reflecting on the song’s title and essence, Linda muses: “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been one. But, if you have a lot of people in your life, you sometimes yearn for solitude. Conversely, solitary people often crave company. It is a bit of a dichotomy.” 

Linda Thompson’s Proxy Music will be released by StorySound Records on June 21