New album Over Again - out now!

Transatlantic Duo, A Different Thread, Start ‘Over Again’ With New Album

Driving into the path of a solar eclipse, Alicia Best and Robert Jackson wrote a song called “Over Again.” It would become the title track of their third album, a record shaped by distance, resilience, and finally starting a new life together in the U.S. 

Best, from Durham, North Carolina, and Jackson, from the UK, met while busking on the cobbled streets of Ireland and discovered both a musical and personal harmony that was serendipitous. They formed as A Different Thread and over the next decade, toured across continents simply to stay together. Many of the songs on Over Again were written during the years when visas and closed borders kept them apart.

After receiving the paperwork to settle together in North Carolina, the duo faced a period of intense transition. “We had been in limbo for so long,” Robert recalls. “I had just quit drinking, packed my life into a suitcase, and moved across the ocean. We had all these songs we had been carrying and we knew we had to lay them down.” Then in the middle of recording, Alicia’s grandmother died, adding grief to the mix. "The songs became our way of holding onto hope through all that. When the eclipse came, we saw it as a symbol of our own transformation. Over Again is us letting go of the past, finally putting down roots and choosing a brighter future together,” the duo reflects.

The title track recently won the Folk/Americana category at the International Acoustic Music Awards, signaling the duo’s rising recognition. Over Again follows a breakout year that included a performance at MerleFest, placements on Apple Music editorial playlists, and growing attention on the international circuit.

Crowdfunded by a global fanbase, the album was recorded in the duo’s tiny-home studio and Betty’s in Chapel Hill, NC, (known for hosting artists such as Watchhouse, The Mountain Goats, and Tyler Childers). It was later completed at Alma Vale Studio in Bristol, UK.

Across it’s eleven tracks, Over Again evokes bittersweet nostalgia, balancing intimate storytelling and social commentary, with charming harmonies, memorable hooks, and an underlying feeling of hope. 

Pivotal track, "The Prophet," examines the intersection of religion, profit, and political power while calling for environmental responsibility. “Loving your neighbor is also about loving the soil they walk on and the environment their children play in,” Best says. “We have to stop pretending things are okay and take action to protect the world we live in.”

A Different Thread will support the album with an extensive international tour across North America, Spain, France, and England. 

Over Again Album Release Tour 2026

North America
May 1 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 *Album Release Show
May 2 – Charlotte, NC – Petra’s
May 3 – Winston-Salem, NC – Muddy Creek Listening Room
May 5 – Flat Rock, NC – Treska’s on the Lake
May 7 – Elkin, NC – The Reeves Theater
May 8 – Asheville, NC – Jack of the Wood
May 9 – Honea Path, SC – Fiddle and Bow Music Hall
May 12 – Birmingham, AL – Dobbers Five Points
May 13 – New Orleans, LA – Saturn Bar
May 14 – Houston, TX – Kojak’s
May 15 – New Braunfels, TX – UU Church of New Braunfels
May 17 – Austin, TX – Mozart’s
June 11 – Arlington, TX – House Concert
June 12 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Blue Door
June 16 – Buffalo, MO – The Old Home Place
June 18 – Kansas City, MO – Greenwood Social Hall
June 25 – Chicago, IL – Friendly Music Community
June 26 – Cleveland, OH – Dunlap’s
June 28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Acoustic Music Works
July 2 – Mendon, NY – Cottage Hotel at Mendon
Jul 10 – Beacon, NY – Lucky Dog Listening Room
July 11 – New Paltz, NY – Rail Trail Cafe
July 19 – Morris, NY – The Gate House
July 25 – Turners Falls, MA – The Rendezvous
July 26 – Brattleboro, VT – Hooker-Dunham Theater
Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Abyssinia’s
Aug 1 – Fairfax, VA – Woodleigh Chase
Aug 7 – Bynum, NC – Bynum Front Porch
Aug 14 – Wilkesboro, NC – Key City Sessions
Aug 27 – Brevard, NC – 185 King Street
Aug 28 – Winston-Salem, NC – Gas Hill
Aug 29 – Saxapahaw, NC – Studio Sax
Sept 18 – Pittsboro, NC – Hoppin’ John Fiddlers Convention

Europe
Sep 26 – San Sebastián, Spain – Club44
United Kingdom
Oct 3 – Scarborough, UK – Old Parcels Office
Oct 4 – Newcastle, UK – The Cluny
Oct 6 – Owston Ferry, UK
Oct 7 – Sheffield, UK – Cafe #9
Oct 8 – Sheffield, UK – Cafe #9
Oct 9 – Hull, UK – The New Adelphi
Oct 10 – Nottingham, UK – Framework Knitters Museum
Oct 12 – Derby, UK – Flower Pot
Oct 14 – Manchester, UK – Carlton Club
Oct 15 – Worcester, UK – Marrs Bar
Oct 16 – Lichfield, UK – The Hub at St. Mary’s
Oct 17 – Hemel Hempstead, UK – Fishery Wharf Cafe
Oct 18 – Brighton, UK – Folklore Rooms
Oct 20 – Bath, UK – The Bell Inn
Oct 23 – London, UK – Green Note
Oct 25 – Frome, UK – The Tree House
Oct 29 – Birmingham, UK – Kitchen Garden Cafe
Oct 30 – Chester, UK – Garden Social

About the artist:

A Different Thread is a transatlantic folk/alt-country duo based in North Carolina, formed by songwriters Alicia Best from Durham, NC, and UK-born Robert Jackson. The pair first met busking on the streets of Ireland and spent the next decade touring internationally while navigating visas and long stretches living on separate continents. Their harmony-driven songwriting blends Old World folk traditions with contemporary Americana storytelling. The duo has landed support slots with The Milk Carton Kids and Jody Stephens of Big Star and received praise from BBC 6 Music, NPR, The Bluegrass Situation, and No Depression. Their song “Over Again” recently won the folk/Americana category at the International Acoustic Music Awards. For more information, visit adifferentthread.com or follow @adifferentthread.