Captivating, enchanting, and distinctly Kramies, 'Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour' serves as both a reckoning and release – a rich, dreamlike journey through self-doubt, renewal, and the subtle beauty of letting go. As he debuts his latest album with Atwood Magazine, Kramies contemplates transformation, creative rejuvenation, ghosts and memories, homecomings and heartbreak, and the mysterious, sacred journey of rediscovering oneself through the art that almost broke him.
Stream: ‘Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour’ – Kramies
“Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour, passed out backstage on the floor / his band carried him to the stage door, where the crowd still adored his songs and sang along, and loved his laughter.” This visual is equally tragic and tender – a myth that belongs solely to Kramies Windt. What begins as the closing scene of a fairytale is, in reality, a rebirth. The title “Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour” serves not only as a name for the album but also as a self-eulogy, a shedding of past identity, a farewell to the man Kramies used to be. With this release, he lays his myth to rest and boldly steps into the next phase of his journey.
From the outset, Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour envelops the listener in a lucid dream – nostalgic, ethereal, and profoundly human. Kramies’ voice lingers in the air like smoke, while his melodies elegantly intertwine with threads of memory and myth. The album resonates with a deep ache both within and out: It is evocative, emotional, and raw, yet delivered with grace and precision. The Ohio-based singer/songwriter crafts alluring sonic landscapes – dark yet melodic, folkloric and otherworldly – that feel uniquely his own, embodying a signature fusion of melancholy and enchantment that is at once timeless and intimate.
Atwood Magazine is excited to premiere Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour, Kramies’ soul-stirring new album, set for release on October 17, 2025. Three years after his self-titled LP gained international acclaim (and Billboard labeled him “The Dreampop Troubadour”), Kramies returns, not to pursue past success, but to release its lingering specter. This record, more intimate and intentional than any before, emerged from a place of exhaustion, disillusionment, and a gradual rediscovery of purpose.
“This was the album I had to release,” he shares with Atwood Magazine. “It was holding me back in the worst ways. After the success of my 2022 album, I found myself struggling. Before that album, I was overflowing with creativity and producing music nonstop for nine years. It drained me completely.”
“I had to assemble this album from scattered thoughts and fragments of songs. I felt creatively suffocated, and it began to take a toll on my health and relationships. I started to see through the superficiality in the world – in people, the masks they wear, and the absurdity of social media and popularity. Everything felt shallow, like a never-ending illusion.”
That disillusionment became fertile ground for renewal. Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour was crafted not from comfort but from confrontation – the sound of an artist deconstructing his own myth to reveal the human beneath.
“It was challenging to write anything,” he recalls. “I had to step outside myself for the first time. I decided to obliterate everything and create a record that shattered the image I had in my head. But I only made that image stronger. Completing the album made me realize I wasn't dying – I was undergoing a significant shift and growth that allowed me to release unnecessary attachments.”
Kramies’ self-titled album from 2022 represented a creative peak – a deeply personal and ethereal collection that garnered critical acclaim and solidified his status as one of dream-folk's most distinctive voices. Atwood Magazine praised Kramies as “a lush, raw, and ethereal dream-folk triumph… soothing, stirring, and unsettling – a blend of folklore and fantasy with a profoundly human essence.” The introspective glow and mythical storytelling of that record would provide the foundation for his next chapter.
If his self-titled album was about transformation through creation, Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour delves into transformation through surrender.
Returning to his home state of Ohio, Kramies collaborated with long-standing associates Chris Keffer, Mario J. McNulty, and a close-knit group of friends to cultivate a sound that is both expansive and deeply personal – a reflection of someone grappling with their identity in real-time.
“I relocated back to my home state, close to my hometown, to create this record – it was one of the highlights of my journey,” he explains. “With its release, I feel
Mesmerizing, rooted in folklore, and distinctly Kramies, ‘Goodbye Dreampop Troubadour’ serves as both a resolution and a liberation – a rich, ethereal journey through self-doubt, renewal, and the gentle elegance of surrendering. In the debut of his newest album with Atwood Magazine, Kramies contemplates transformation, artistic rebirth, the presence of memories and spirits, moments of return and sorrow, and the peculiar, sacred journey of rediscovering oneself within the art that nearly defeated you.