Jo Passed announces his album, Away, will drop on January 23rd, 2026 via Youth Riot Records. Ahead of the album’s release, the multi-artist has shared lead single “Ico”–dedicated to its namesake, a cherished 15-year-old Siberian long-haired cat he co-parented for five years–alongside a self-directed video. Along with the news, Jo Passed also announced a run of 2025 North American fall shows.

Centered around Hirabayashi’s mental health journey and recovery in between releases, the songs of Away range from existential to deeply personal. Though the album heavily plays on themes of ego death, death itself, and general loss, it’s all done with a lighthearted touch and explored via a knotty, dynamic sound that might’ve occurred if Elliott Smith had jammed with Brian Eno in the ‘70s.

Written during the pandemic, “Ico” chronicles the simple stress-free life of the feline’s day, while subtly zeroing in on the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy and being in the moment, as well as reflections on philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air. “The lockdown era of the still-present COVID pandemic is already a kind of retro-referenced universe, and everyone seemed to write their own songs from that time. This one is mine,” Hirabayashi notes. “But more than that, this song is about my cat–her freedom in repetition, the steady rhythm of her days. Her calm, grounding presence became both a mentor and a lifesaver for me during those years, and I owe everything to her. Sadly, she’s been diagnosed with lung cancer and kidney failure. I’m hoping that I can get this record out and that song out before she passes away. Everything else on the album is this dark, dreary exploration of anxiety and human fixation, and I felt it needed something that was more positive.”

Of the video, Hirabayashi adds “This video came together guerrilla-style in March 2024. I think it speaks both to the song and for itself: Shion Skye Carter’s dancing is incredible, Sarah Baxter’s costume design is beautiful, Aya Garcia’s camera work is sharp, and Téa Mei’s sign is the perfect finishing touch.”

“Away is a process record–about processing, about the process of making music, and the process of navigating one’s own psyche,” he notes. What transpired over the eight years following Their Prime was a lot of time away from his creative pursuits. Hirabayashi began to focus on supporting other artists through composition, production, and videography/filmmaking. During this time, Away was written, re-written, some scrapped, some reworked, and some left to contemplate then return to later with fresh ears. There was also a year-long break where he didn’t even listen to the album. Yet despite all the challenges, Hirabayashi emerged refreshed.

pre-order Away by Jo Passed HERE