Joy Machine Releases Coal Musical EP
The six-track Official Concept EP for Coal: A New American Musical arrives in digital and streaming formats on December 11, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Folk
JOY MACHINE RECORDS will release Coal: A New American Musical (Official Concept EP) in digital and streaming formats on Friday, December 11, 2026. The six-track recording includes highlights from the musical's folk and bluegrass-infused score, with book, music and lyrics by Nicholas Connors.
Why it matters
The release brings a developing new American musical to a recorded format, giving listeners access to material from a show that has held workshops and residencies. The EP's first single, "Delilah" featuring Jordan Fisher, is set to come out ahead of the full recording.
The EP contains six tracks and is scheduled for digital and streaming release on December 11, 2026, with its lead single arriving three weeks earlier on November 20. Sales and streaming figures have not yet been reported, and the release is still in the future.
The players
Nicholas Connors
Nicholas Connors is the writer of the book, music and lyrics for Coal: A New American Musical and a co-producer of the EP, and was selected for a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellowship.
Jordan Fisher
Jordan Fisher is a performer on the EP and featured vocalist on the lead single "Delilah," known for his stage and screen work.
Fred Lassen
Fred Lassen is the music director and co-producer of the EP for Coal: A New American Musical.
JOY MACHINE RECORDS
JOY MACHINE RECORDS is the label releasing the Coal: A New American Musical Official Concept EP.
The details
The recording features performances by Jane Bruce, Andrew Durand, Jordan Fisher, Vincent Jamal Hooper, Lizzy McAlpine, Paul Alexander Nolan, Solea Pfeiffer, Nathan Salstone, and Nathaniel Stampley. The EP is produced by Fred Lassen and Nicholas Connors, with Lassen also serving as music director, and is available for pre-order or pre-save now.
Timeline
2026 Summer: Workshop and concert presentation held in Saratoga Springs, NY, as part of The Orchard Project's 2026 Summer Arts Festival.
Friday, November 20, 2026: First single "Delilah" featuring Jordan Fisher is released.
Friday, December 11, 2026: Coal: A New American Musical (Official Concept EP) is released in digital and streaming formats.
Legacy Stories
The musical's Appalachian setting draws on the 1921 Coal Wars in West Virginia, a labor conflict that has been the subject of American storytelling for a century. The EP places that history in a folk and bluegrass-infused musical idiom.
Listeners can pre-order or pre-save the EP now, with digital and streaming availability starting December 11, 2026. The lead single "Delilah" will be accessible on November 20, three weeks before the full recording.
The takeaway
Fans of American musical theatre and folk-leaning storytelling can track the Coal EP release dates now, and pre-save the album to be notified when "Delilah" and the full recording become available.
What happens next
The first single "Delilah" arrives November 20, 2026, followed by the full six-track Coal EP on December 11, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more folk music news to see how new American musicals draw on regional roots.
