Singer-songwriter and producer Cavetown— the moniker of UK-born Robin Skinner—sent waves of excitement through his global fanbase by announcing his forthcoming album Running With Scissors, set for release on January 16, 2026, via Futures Music Group, alongside the shimmering new single and video for “Rainbow Gal,” a synth-laced love song inspired by his relationship that captures the grounding comfort his partner brings even from afar. The track, built on 8-bit textures and glitchy vocals, reflects the vibrant, restorative energy of connection, with Skinner sharing, “‘Rainbow Gal’ is like a light display turned into a song, she brings all the color into my life.” Listen to “Rainbow Gal” and watch the music video here, pre-order the album here, and dive into a project that marks Cavetown’s evolution from intimate lo-fi beginnings to expansive indie-pop anthems, amassing billions of streams and six RIAA Platinum singles while building a devoted community through major festivals like Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, and Lollapalooza, as well as tours with AJR, Pierce the Veil, and Mother Mother.
If his past music created a sanctuary of solace for millions worldwide, Running With Scissors asks a profound question: what happens when you step outside that room and confront yourself head-on, inheriting the gifts and curses from family while deciding which parts to carry forward or cut away? Written on the other side of a two-year healing process, the album finds Skinner, now 26, older, braver, and galvanized, shading his trademark softness with rawer emotions—from anxiety and self-doubt to navigating life as a trans artist—without losing sight of the fans who have grown up alongside him. “I want them to enter this new era with me and not feel like it’s for kids. Because I’m not a kid anymore,” he says. “I want it to feel like we’re moving forward together.” The release of “Rainbow Gal” follows Cavetown’s recent single “Baby Spoon,” paired with its intimate, dreamlike video, threading intergenerational tension, familial excavation, and love both soft and fierce through songs that mirror Skinner’s recent life changes, including falling in love with the person he wants to start a family with and the birth of his first sibling, with whom he shares a 26-year age gap.
On Running With Scissors, the album unfolds as a sweeping reflection on growth, identity, and the beauty of coming into one’s own, using intimate storytelling to explore themes of love, masculinity, vulnerability, and connection, while turning toward heavier realities like anxiety, self-doubt, and self-parenting. Acoustic melodies and field recordings collide with hyperpop glitches and math-rock textures; whispers break into screams; and Skinner’s voice, once a gentle murmur, now stretches and snaps with newfound range, as he aimed to “make myself sound more brave” and “impress people with my voice, like, ‘wow, he’s actually got some pipes.’” The tracklist—1. Skip, 2. Cryptid, 3. Rainbow Gal, 4. Baby Spoon, 5. NPC, 6. Reaper, 7. Straight Through My Head (DO IT!!!), 8. Tarmac, 9. No Bark No Bite, 10. Micah, 11. Sailboat (feat. Chloe Moriondo), 12. First Time, 13. Running With Scissors—promises a bold sonic palette, from the glitchy romance of “Rainbow Gal” to the introspective urgency of “Cryptid” and the explosive catharsis of “Straight Through My Head (DO IT!!!),” all produced by Skinner in his Cambridge bedroom-turned-studio, blending lo-fi intimacy with polished production that echoes his evolution from ukulele covers to arena-ready anthems.
Cavetown’s growth from uploading songs in his Cambridge bedroom as a 14-year-old in 2012 to becoming one of the most beloved voices of his generation is a story of quiet persistence and profound impact. Born Robin Daniel Skinner on December 15, 1998, in Oxford, England, to a musicologist father, David Skinner, and a professional Baroque flautist mother, he was immersed in music from childhood, learning guitar at eight and self-teaching production with GarageBand before receiving Logic Pro as a gift. His YouTube channel, launched in November 2012, exploded with his first cover, an Elvis Presley ukulele rendition of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” in July 2015, followed by the breakout original “This Is Home” in August 2015, which amassed millions of views and established his signature indie rock, indie pop, and bedroom pop style with mellow ukulele ballads. By 2017, Skinner released his self-titled debut album, an eclectic mix of acoustic and electronic tracks, leading to his signing with Sire Records in 2019 and the release of Sleepyhead in March 2020, which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Soundtracks chart despite the pandemic.
The pandemic years honed Skinner’s craft, with Animal Kingdom (2019), a mixtape of split singles with guests like Sidney Gish, Simi, and Chloe Moriondo, showcasing his collaborative spirit, while Worm Food (2022) became a commercial triumph, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Folk Albums chart and earning six RIAA Platinum singles like “Lemon Boy” (2018), which captured his whimsical yet weepy essence. Skinner’s music has offered solace to millions, blending the fantastical with the vulnerable, as seen in “Devil Town” (2015), where he nonchalantly sings about his parents’ divorce: “Mom and daddy aren’t in love/That’s fine, I’ll settle for two birthdays.” His community-building shines through the This Is Home initiative, launched in 2022 alongside single “frog,” raising over $650,000 for LGBTQ+ organizations by empowering and supporting queer youth, reflecting Skinner’s own journey as a trans non-binary artist who came out publicly in 2020 and uses he/they pronouns. As he told Pride Source in 2022, “Uplifting certain areas of my community was obvious—look at any Cavetown show, and you’re just like, ‘Yeah, you guys are gay.’” This ethos, born from his own struggles with identity and anxiety, has fostered a “Cave Club” of devoted fans who see Cavetown as a safe space, with Skinner noting in The Line of Best Fit in 2023, “I write songs about things hard to talk about in person.”
Running With Scissors emerges from Skinner’s two-year healing process, a period of reimagining adulthood amid love, family, and self-doubt, as detailed in the album announcement. Falling in love with his partner, whom he envisions starting a family with, and the birth of his sibling—26 years his junior—infuse the record with themes of fierce yet soft love and inherited legacies, asking fans to grow alongside him. The synth-laced “Rainbow Gal,” with its 8-bit nostalgia and glitchy vocals, celebrates this grounding force, while “Baby Spoon” explores familial bonds through dreamlike intimacy. Tracks like “Cryptid” delve into hidden selves, “NPC” satirizes feeling like a background character in one’s own life, “Reaper” confronts mortality, and the title track “Running With Scissors” embodies reckless bravery in vulnerability. Featuring Chloe Moriondo on “Sailboat,” the album’s math-rock edges and hyperpop glitches collide with acoustic warmth, produced in Skinner’s home studio, ensuring the lo-fi heart that made early hits like “Lemon Boy” (over 500 million streams) endures.
Cavetown’s live prowess has amplified his reach, from Glastonbury’s Acoustic Stage in 2023—where he debuted “Juno” about his cat—to Lollapalooza’s 75,000-strong Chicago crowd in 2024, and Reading & Leeds in 2023, where he shared stages with Foo Fighters and Billie Eilish. His 2025 tour with Pierce the Veil kicks off September 23 at OVO Arena Wembley in London, followed by Co-op Live in Manchester (25), OVO Hydro in Glasgow (26), and Utilita Arena in Birmingham (27), blending indie-pop intimacy with arena spectacle. Skinner’s evolution—from a shy teen posting ukulele covers to a trans artist owning his “pipes” with screams and runs—mirrors Running With Scissors’ theme of stepping out, as he told Kerrang! on September 12, 2025, “I wanted to impress people with my voice, like, ‘Wow, he’s actually got some pipes.’” With billions of streams and a community that’s grown from YouTube comments to global solidarity, Cavetown’s new era invites fans to run with him—scissor-sharp, color-filled, and unapologetically forward.
Rome is a freelance writer and photographer. He brings a fresh perspective to the indie music scene and highlights emerging artists and underground movements. His writing style is drawn from personal experiences and a deep love for the art form.