BUTCHER BABIES Face New Beginnings With “Leaving California”

BUTCHER BABIES have unveiled “Leaving California,” the fifth single from their upcoming sixth studio album, NIGHTBLOOM, due October 2, 2026 via Judge & Jury Records. Produced by Howard Benson, the track captures the complicated emotions surrounding the decision to walk away from a life that once felt permanent and embrace an uncertain future. Released alongside an official music video, “Leaving California” opens another deeply personal chapter in the band’s forthcoming record.

The song is rooted in vocalist Heidi Shepherd’s own experience of leaving California in 2020. What began as a melody recorded during the drive out of town developed into a song about change, closure and the realization that something once considered permanent may no longer be right. Shepherd draws a connection between leaving the state and moving on from a long-term relationship that had reached its natural end, giving “Leaving California” an emotional weight centered on both loss and the excitement of starting again.

“NIGHTBLOOM” expands that personal perspective across ten tracks, with “Leaving California” positioned as the penultimate song before “Black Dove.” The album also features previously released material including “Lost In Your Touch,” “Sincerity,” “Blame It On The Wind,” “Broken & Beautiful,” “Are You Waiting Up?,” “Black Clouds Over Georgia,” “Fever In My Neck” and “Songbird.”

With “Leaving California,” BUTCHER BABIES turn a major personal transition into a song about letting go, stepping into uncertainty and finding strength in change. NIGHTBLOOM arrives October 2, bringing together the latest chapter of the band’s evolving story.

Get the album: https://ffm.to/nightbloom