Iceland-based Canadian alt-folk newcomer SPOUSES (aka songwriter, musician, and producer Joel Durksen) is proud to reveal his new single ‘Beth’ released 23rd April 2026.

The track is the latest to be taken from his debut album, I Could Be Your Dog, set for release on 22nd May 2026 on new independent label Kalfholt Records.

Commenting on the single, Durksen says: “It’s the single piece of art that I’ve created so far that I am the most proud of. I spent hours and hours writing this song, trying to get every word, every syllable just perfect. It’s a song about loving someone so desperately that you would do anything for them, like changing for the better/worse; contorting yourself into whatever image they would like the most. The title of the album ‘I Could Be Your Dog’ comes from a line in this song.”

Taking direct influence from Leonard Cohen, the legendary songwriter’s shadow looms large over everything Durksen does—stylistically, aesthetically and philosophically. Cohen famously toiled over his masterpiece ‘Halleluja’, which Durksen describes as one of the greatest works in the English language.

“He spent like five years writing it producing over 100 verses, and some were written while banging his head on his hotel floor in frustration,” he wonders. “I think a lot about that when I hit a songwriting wall. ‘Beth’ was sort of my own little version of that and it ultimately became the best thing I’ve ever written, so the hard work paid off.”

“Honestly I had never really sat down and worked this hard on songwriting before,” he admits of the process. “I find writing music to be quite easy, but lyrics have always been a struggle; I guess it’s just a muscle I never really had to flex much before. That is pretty typical for me now, I get a musical idea quickly and then I torture myself endlessly trying to find the lyrics. But after a while you get into a meditative flow in your mind. You say a line in your head. “…that’s not it”. Write some lyrics down, then scratch them out. Over and over and over again. Really I just had to get this idea of “inspiration” out of my head completely and understand that this thing is work.”

‘Beth’ follows on from debut single ‘Splinter’ and follow-up ‘Choke’, which picked up early media support from The Line of Best Fit, BIRP! FM, Exclaim! Magazine and Icelandic national broadcasters RÚV English and Rás 2.

Following a special single release show in his previous hometown of Liverpool at Kazimier Stockroom in February, Durksen played a stripped-back solo acoustic show in Reykjavik, Iceland at the weekend showcasing material from the forthcoming album.

image provided by Wall Of Sound PR