Havre De Grace Trades Quiet for Range on Second Album Into the Wild
The Portland Folk Songwriter Builds a Fuller Sound Without Losing the Whisper
Havre De Grace spent his debut record speaking softly. On Into the Wild, his second full-length album, the Portland songwriter lets the volume climb. Trumpet and piano step in. Then he pulls it all back to the close acoustic hush his early listeners already know. The album arrives on 17 July 2026, released independently through DistroKid. The lead single “Goodbye, Norma Jeane” is out now, and it points to where the record is going.
You can listen to our full playlist which contains the artist’s music, and know more about the artist’s work by scrolling down the page.
What the Lead Single Goodbye Norma Jeane Reveals About the Album Ahead
“Goodbye, Norma Jeane” works as a preview because it carries both sides of the record. The song keeps an acoustic guitar and a single vocal at its centre. Then it opens up. The arrangement runs fuller and more energetic than the 2025 debut, I Want to Be Yours and Other Songs. Nothing crowds the melody. The extra instruments arrive as flavour, not filler. For anyone tracking where Havre De Grace is heading, the single is the clearest signpost.
That contrast is the whole idea behind Into the Wild. Stefan Auvache Bradley, the singer-songwriter behind the Havre De Grace name, built his first album on quiet and closeness. The new one keeps that instinct but gives it more room. A song can rise into a rowdier passage, then settle back down without losing its shape. By contrast, the debut stayed in one register. This record travels between them, and the single proves the softer and louder halves belong to the same writer.
Havre De Grace Builds Every Track on One Guitar and One Voice
Across Into the Wild, the writing starts from the same two elements. There is one acoustic guitar, and there is one voice. Everything else is a choice layered on top. A trumpet line steps in. A piano fills the space under a chorus. Each part serves the song rather than decorating it. As a result, the bigger arrangements never swallow the closeness at the core. It also lets the album grow louder without ever feeling crowded.
The approach fits how Bradley talks about the work. “I love music and music loves me. I can’t help but play the guitar and write songs. Havre De Grace is the vehicle I use to share what I love with anyone who wants to listen,” he said. There is no grand concept dressed over the songs. Instead, a Portland songwriter follows the parts that feel right, then trusts a guitar and a voice to carry them. It is a plainly independent way to make a folk record. Naturally, it suits an artist releasing the album himself.
IndieMusic.News curator team: “What makes the second album land is that Bradley never hands the melody to the new instruments. One voice starts every song and one voice finishes it, so the trumpet and piano read as company, not costume.”
For Listeners Who Follow Nick Drake and The Tallest Man on Earth
Spend time with Nick Drake, and you learn his trick. A fingerpicked guitar and a close, unhurried vocal can carry a whole song. The softer half of Into the Wild lives in that space. Meanwhile, its louder half points elsewhere. The rhythmic push in the up-tempo tracks sits nearer to The Tallest Man on Earth, whose weathered voice and driving guitar give folk real forward motion.
There is a line to Iron & Wine too. That project began in hushed, home-recorded folk, then opened into layered, band-sized arrangements. In turn, Havre De Grace is walking a version of the same route. He moves from a stripped-back debut to a wider second record without dropping the thread between them. Fans of Damien Rice will know the dynamic swings, where a song falls to a near-whisper and then lifts. These are stylistic reference points, not claims of any real-world tie. Think of them as a map for folk and singer-songwriter fans deciding whether to press play.
That audience is the point. This is music for people who read music blogs and follow independent curators. They go looking for new artists instead of waiting for an algorithm. The crowd runs US, UK, Canada, and Australia heavy. That discerning indie folk audience is exactly who Into the Wild wants to reach.
Where to Hear Havre De Grace Before Into the Wild Arrives July 17
“Goodbye, Norma Jeane” is streaming now. Soon after, the full album follows on 17 July 2026. In addition, it lands on Spotify, Apple Music, and every major platform through DistroKid. This is a self-released record, so early word from listeners and curators counts for a lot.
Follow Havre De Grace across platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud for the music. For release-day news, find him on Instagram, Facebook, and his YouTube channel. More sits on his official website.
