Jan St. Werner Announces Solo Album Squares Will Fall, Featuring Justin Vernon and Sufjan Stevens

Jan St. Werner is returning to solo work with Squares Will Fall, a three-track album out November 13 through Thrill Jockey. The Mouse on Mars co-founder has enlisted a tightly chosen set of collaborators, including Justin Vernon, Sufjan Stevens, Zach Condon, and Ben Lanz.

The title track carries lyrics and vocals from Vernon. Its origins reach back to 2012, when Werner recorded a 30-minute version to mark a friend’s 30th birthday. The piece later became the basis for an improvisation between Vernon and Werner during Mouse on Mars’ Dimensional Peoples sessions at Vernon’s Wisconsin studio.

Werner also presented “Squares Will Fall” as a live performance at the Ural Industrial Biennial in 2021. Speakers hung from long ropes and were moved by performers throughout the space, making the physical room part of the mixing process.

The rest of the record is equally specific. “Swamp Brains” features singer Rosanne Rubino. On “Flötotto,” Stevens plays drum machine and Lanz handles trombone and bass. Werner’s previous solo release, Space Synthesis, arrived in 2023.