Kentucky duo Girl Tones released their debut album, Precious, on November 6. Sonic Pulse Reviews mentioned back in April that they planned to release their debut later in the year, and we’re excited it’s finally here.
The record was produced by Brad Shultz of Cage The Elephant, who signed sisters Kenzie (vocals, guitar) and Laila (drums) to his Parallel Vision label after the Bowling Green duo built a following playing DIY shows around Kentucky.
That hometown connection matters. Shultz is himself one of Bowling Green’s favorite musical exports, and the duo recorded Precious with him in the producer’s chair after touring behind early singles.
The rollout has been busy: Amazon Music named Girl Tones to its 2026 Artists to Watch list, and the band has toured the world with Cage The Elephant and shared stages with Silversun Pickups, Dexter and the Moonrocks, and The Velveteers. They also played festival sets at Lollapalooza and Just Like Heaven.
Before Girl Tones, Kenzie played cello and Laila played piano. They wrote songs in the woods, then traded classical instruments for guitar and drums. Precious is their first full-length statement of who they became.
Quick Pulse
- Label: Parallel Vision and Big Loud Rock
- Released: November 6, 2026
- Genre: Rock
- Website: girltones.com
Girl Tones delivers passion on ‘Precious’
Passion is not embarrassing. When it comes to the music and the shows, we're very interactive. We want you to put your phone down, get up, dance, and enjoy yourself. It's okay to be a nerd. It's okay to be weird. The album is who we are.
That ethos runs through the whole record.
Laila credits Shultz directly: “He’s a genuine mentor to us. Brad’s incredibly ambitious, and his energy is contagious.”
‘Precious’ Highlights
“Cherry Picker” is the first track on the album, and the guitar’s fade into the fuzzy drums is an immediate indicator of Girl Tones’, well, tone. Upbeat and catchy, this is one of those songs that finds you tapping your foot without thinking about it. If I had to pick a “most likely to land in your favorites playlist” song, this would be the one.
The album’s announcement single “Pretty Face” leans into punk territory. Palm-muted guitar on the verses and detuned power chords on the chorus hit hard. For the cherry on top, we get Kenzie screaming “Heaven’s not a rat race!”
Laila explained the sentiment in the band’s press materials: so many people hide who they are just to be accepted, and the song pushes back against that. “Don’t diminish yourself in order to be conventional,” she said.
Punchy drums lay down a groove on “Glowing Buzz,” and Kenzie nails the call-and-response hook with gorgeous falsetto. She’s said the track started with the riff and the melody followed, and that it became a song about depression: the “glowing buzz” of watching television on the couch, unable to get out of bed.
You wouldn’t expect a song about a listless afternoon to hit this hard, but “Glowing Buzz” is an anthem to get you off the couch.
The title track “Precious” is a farewell to the sisters’ grandmother, who passed away in 2020 and called the pair her “Precious.” The handwriting on the album cover comes from a card she sent Kenzie.
As Kenzie revealed in the album’s announcement, the song is about losing a loved one and gaining one, too; she began dating her now-husband around the time of the loss.
“Precious” is one of my favorite songs on the album. The piano & string intro accompanying Kenzie’s vocals sets the tone for the song. Her seamless flips into head voice showcase her vocal ability and convey the emotion that birthed this song.
The closer “Mirror,” co-written by Kenzie’s husband, pairs gentle acoustic guitar with dreamy vocals. The sisters recorded it shortly after losing their grandfather, and Laila has described it as raw and special to them. It lands as an emotional capstone to the record.
The Verdict
There are a lot of very vulnerable chapters of our lives in this album. We deal with everything through rock music. I hope you get what you need from the record.
Precious is a debut with range: loud, bratty punk-rockers on one end, genuinely tender grief songs on the other, and the confidence to lay bare their vulnerability through music.
For fans of the White Stripes’ two-piece economy, Wet Leg’s hooks, or anyone who likes their rock loud and their sincerity louder, this one’s worth your time.
Girl Tones kicks off their first headline East Coast tour this month, with support from Modern Cult, JT Loux, and Four Degrees Colder.
Stops include Mercury Lounge in New York (November 18) and DC9 in Washington, DC (November 19); the Chicago, Charlotte, and Decatur dates have already sold out.
Before the tour, they’ll play an in-store performance and record signing at Nashville’s Grimey’s New & Preloved Music on November 12.
