SCHOOL HOUSE Set the Stage for Sophomore Album Homeland, Out Feb 27 -

With their sophomore album, Homeland, set for release on February 27, 2026, Ottawa folk-rock trio School House are entering their most defining chapter yet. The forthcoming record builds on the band’s harmony-rich songwriting and road-worn storytelling, capturing a moment of growth, restlessness, and hard-earned clarity.

Hot on the heels of their Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist Showcase win, the new album is rooted in themes of belonging, self-discovery, and the quiet push to keep moving forward. Homeland finds School House reflecting on the uncertainty of early adulthood while holding space for hope. Across eleven tracks, the album weaves together Americana textures, introspective folk ballads, and expansive, chorus-driven moments, painting a portrait of life in motion where home becomes something you carry rather than a place you return to.

“Homeland came from a period where we were all trying to figure out who we were becoming,” says vocalist/guitarist Joel Ryan. “We were writing a lot about movement – hitting the road, chasing dreams, falling in love, finding ourselves – and realizing that home isn’t always a singular place you return to. Sometimes it’s the people you’re with, the music you’re making, or the feeling that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, even if you’re still figuring it out.”

The album opens with the title track “Homeland,” an honest examination of fear, doubt, and insecurity that uses everyday moments as metaphors for larger emotional questions. Its recurring refrain – “where’s your homeland?” – echoes throughout the record, reappearing in songs that explore love, escape, ambition, and nostalgia. “Morning Light” offers a radiant counterbalance, celebrating the grounding presence of love, while “Touchdown in Texas” leans into gritty Americana as a declaration of faith in the road ahead.

The upcoming single, “Live While I’m Alive,” (January 16) serves as an emotional centerpiece for the album, blending humor and vulnerability as it grapples with financial stress, self-doubt, and the contradictions of modern life. Elsewhere, “Away We Go” captures the romance of escape and road-trip freedom, while “That Old Me” looks backward with tenderness, longing for the unfiltered joy and fearlessness of childhood.

Formed after three friends moved into a century-old schoolhouse together in 2021, School House quickly developed a reputation for their warm harmonies and lived-in songwriting. The band has opened for Alan Doyle, toured Ontario with The Strumbellas, won Group of the Year at the 2024 Ottawa Music Awards, and saw their debut album named Album of the Year by Faces Magazine. Celebrated as fan favourites at the Mariposa Folk Festival, they continue to build a dedicated following across Canada.

Following the release of Homeland, School House will take the new music on the road this March with the “Freewheelin’ Field Trip” tour with Braden Lam – a run of headline shows across Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Ontario. For more information, visitwww.schoolhouseband.com.

Homeland Tracklist

1. Homeland

2. Morning Light

3. Touchdown in Texas

4. Live While I’m Alive

5. On the Way Home (Interlude)

6. Away We Go

7. That Old Me

8. Pretty

9. Interstate

10. Towards the Light

11. Waiting