Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, and visual artist Emma Ruth Rundle has announced her sixth studio album, These Killing Times, scheduled for release on September 18 through her own label, Errant Child. The announcement arrives alongside the release of “Powerless,” the album's opening track and first single.
While the record carries a strong spirit of resistance and defiance, it also preserves the vulnerability and emotional honesty that made Engine of Hell (2021) resonate so deeply with listeners around the world.
Unlike its predecessor, These Killing Times marks a return to a full-band format. The album features contributions from Jess Gowrie (Chelsea Wolfe, Mrs. Piss), Troy Zeigler, Patrick Shiroishi, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos), Gina Gleason (Baroness), Marissa Nadler, Lukas Frank (Storefront Church), and Amelia Baker (Cinder Well), creating a brighter, more urgent sonic landscape than previous releases.
The album features the participation of musicians such as Jess Gowrie (Chelsea Wolfe, Mrs. Piss), Troy Zeigler, Patrick Shiroishi, Nick Reinhart (Tera Melos), Gina Gleason (Baroness), Marissa Nadler, Lukas Frank (Storefront Church) and Amelia Baker (Cinder Well).
Discussing “Powerless,” Rundle explained: “This song was initially titled ‘Noam Chomsky is Dead to Me’ - as his relationship to Epstein and the billionaire class was being exposed - just another massively disappointing headline in a time where we are incessantly confronted with an onslaught of news and headlines which are endlessly demoralizing and dehumanizing.”
She further stated: “This song - like most of the songs on ‘These Killing Times' - is a reaction to the horrors we are seeing laid bare on a daily basis - the clear and painful reality of the myriad injustices levied upon the working class people of earth - from climate collapse to genocide to the miscarriage of justice on a scale- the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetimes- the collapse of empire, the demise of democracy, the erosion of women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ rights and black rights, the attempt to dehumanize immigrants and people of color, the concentration camps in the USA. With ‘Powerless’ - I invoke the hammer; both to destroy and to build - something better. I want people to know they are not alone - they are not insane.”
The album began taking shape in early 2025 as Rundle watched the effects of another climate-related disaster unfold from afar. Reflecting on the systemic issues behind many global crises, she made a conscious decision to create a hopeful record despite the overwhelming circumstances surrounding its creation.
The album was recorded by Sonny Diperri, known for his work with My Bloody Valentine, Trent Reznor, and These New Puritans, continuing a creative partnership with Rundle that spans more than a decade.
Rather than turning inward, she chose collaboration and community. “I wanted to feel fortified by friendships and to be in community with other musicians - to make something that pushed back against the isolation.”
In addition to her music career, Rundle remains an active visual artist. In 2025 she released her first poetry collection, The Bella Vista, further expanding a body of work that moves fluidly between music, literature, and visual arts.
These Killing Times — Tracklist:
1 – Powerless
2 – God’s Picture
3 – Anvil
4 – Catherine Wheel
5 – Don’t Delay Heaven
6 – Enough
7 – Human Kindness
8 – Oceans of Time
