Nick Ward has released “Jenny,” the latest single from his forthcoming sophomore album, Year Of The Snake. The album is due November 13 via Republic Records.
Ward wrote “Jenny” with longtime collaborator Lucian Rice during a trip to Auckland, New Zealand. The pair spent time driving through the city’s suburbs, listening to yacht rock and working on lyrics over meals at a local Chinese restaurant. Ward said the more relaxed process helped him move away from the explicitly autobiographical approach that had previously shaped much of his songwriting. “Both ‘Piano’ and ‘Jenny’ were made on that same Auckland writing trip, and opened the doors to what the record could be,” he said. “This song is really just a fantasy, a dream about something you can’t have.”
The song is accompanied by a music video created with Charles Buxton-Leslie. Built with a small group of friends, the production uses miniature rooms and cardboard instruments to create an exaggerated take on the girl-next-door concept. Ward said the team drew inspiration from late-1960s surrealism, filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard and director Michel Gondry. “We wanted to make something playful and raunchy, while still capturing the longing and obsession at the heart of the song,” he said.
Year Of The Snake was created between Auckland and Sydney with collaborators including Timon Martin, Kody Nielson, Rice and Tony Buchen. The record follows Ward’s 2024 debut, House With The Blue Door, which was largely made in his bedroom. According to Ward, the collaborative process behind the follow-up allowed him to work across a broader range of styles, including folk, pop, electronic music, soul, indie rock and classical music. Its influences include the Beach Boys, David Bowie’s Berlin-era work and Animal Collective’s psychedelic pop. Ward has described the album as a coming-of-age record shaped by loss, change and the process of starting over, while “Jenny” approaches those themes through the fantasy of leaving an old life behind.
Listen to “Jenny” here.
