Butcher Babies Release Deeply Personal New Single “Leaving California”

Sep 15, 2026

Butcher Babies have released “Leaving California,” the fifth single from their forthcoming album NIGHTBLOOM, out October 2 via Judge & Jury Records.

The song is the most personal thing vocalist Heidi Shepherd has put on tape. She explains at length:

“In 2020 I left California, the place I had called home for 20 years. I was leaving behind the ashes of a relationship that had run dry, walking away not just from a person, but from a version of myself I no longer recognized. The drive out felt like both an escape and a funeral. Every mile marker was a memory I was trying to outrun, every song on the radio a reminder of what I’d lost.”
“I remember sitting in silence, tears burning, the weight of the years pressing down on me. I wasn’t sure if I was running away or finally running toward something. But I knew if I stayed, I would disappear completely. Leaving California was about survival, about choosing myself when everything else was falling apart.”

The track was produced by Howard Benson, who also helmed the album.

“When I first heard Heidi’s demo of ‘Leaving California’ I knew it was going to be a great song,” says Benson. “The song had a lot of emotion and depth to it which really spoke to me. This song and record is a great new direction for the band and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace added his own take:

“When I first heard ‘Leaving California’ I wasn’t expecting something that raw. I love anything that’s dangerously human, and this song hit that nerve. It’s got the kind of emotional honesty that made me stop what I was doing and just listen. The chorus hits like a memory you can’t shake.”

Pre-order NIGHTBLOOM: https://butcherbabies.lnk.to/NIGHTBLOOM