Lambchop's seventeenth album Punching the Clown finds Kurt Wagner returning to first principles. Sparked by a late-night radio encounter with an unidentified gospel recording, Wagner fell deep into the world of "lined out singing" a centuries-old Scots-Appalachian call-and-response tradition in which a lone clerk leads a choir through hymns, word by unadorned word. That spirit of raw, communal voice shapes every moment of Punching the Clown: Wagner spent years studying great songwriters and relearning his craft from the ground up, whittling dozens of songs down to twelve. Recorded in three days with guitarist Andrew Broder, Justin Vernon on banjo, and a six-part choir assembled by Blake Morgan and engineered by Lambchop veteran Mark Nevers, the album is graceful, wry, and quietly devastating. 

Produced by Ryan Olson and recorded August 25–27, 2025, at April Base, Wisconsin. The record was completed over three days and features Kurt Wagner (vocals), Andrew Broder (guitar), Justin Vernon (banjo), and a six-part vocal ensemble, with additional choir recordings in London and Minneapolis.