Los Angeles duo The Palms have released “Maybe,” the first single from their upcoming 2027 album After The Fire through Ineffable Records.
For Johnny Zambetti and Ben Rothbard, the release begins another chapter in a project that has always been closely connected to Los Angeles. The two musicians formed The Palms after previously playing together in Terraplane Sun, using the new project as an opportunity to create without many of the restrictions they had felt in a more traditional band setup.
Alternative rock and indie pop provide the foundation, but their music has regularly absorbed elements of psychedelia, hip-hop, folk, blues and the hazier side of West Coast pop.
“Maybe” now introduces what comes next. The single serves as the first look at After The Fire, currently planned for 2027, following a period in which The Palms continued expanding a catalog that has steadily found an audience well beyond Los Angeles.
That audience originally grew around songs like “Push Off,” which became an early breakout for the duo and helped establish the combination of understated vocals, alternative production and California atmosphere that would continue through later releases.
The Palms followed with projects including Mulholland Dr., Charlie and, most recently, the 2024 album Wonderland. That last record found Zambetti and Rothbard leaning heavily into their relationship with California, making Los Angeles feel like more than a backdrop. It became part of the music itself.
“Maybe” arrives with a different purpose.
The Palms have always balanced familiarity with experimentation. Their music can feel instantly accessible without becoming easy to pin down, pulling from classic California songwriting as comfortably as contemporary indie, alternative and pop production. Zambetti and Rothbard have also built their audience largely on their own terms.
What began as a creative outlet outside their previous band developed into a long-running project with tens of millions of streams and YouTube views, a substantial independent catalog and an audience that has followed them through repeated stylistic shifts.
Now, After The Fire provides another opportunity to reshape that identity. There is still plenty left to learn about the 2027 album, but “Maybe” establishes the starting point and makes clear that The Palms are already moving into their next era.
The Palms’ “Maybe” is out now through Ineffable Records.
After The Fire is expected in 2027.
