truce

Truce is the third full-length studio album from New York City-based singer-songwriter Robert Scheffler. Inspired by Warren Zevon’s Life’ll Kill Ya (the bulk of which was done at Zevon’s home prior to being finished at a studio), Scheffler recorded and produced songs on his own–guitars, ukulele, keyboards, and vocals (with friends adding backups)–before handing the tracks over to Scott Anthony (Beastie Boys, The Feelies) at Storybook Sound in New Jersey to be mixed and mastered. 

Truce sets out to explore the agreements–unspoken or overt–that shape our bonds to friends, partners and the world at large. The acoustic-guitar-driven opening track, “Excuse the Mess,” describes the vulnerability that comes with a new relationship but also serves as a welcome to the record itself. Electric guitars take over on “Hang On, Skyline,” imagining a romantic soul’s reckless leap of faith. “Basher” and “All in Good Time” examine two sides of the ongoing (and universal) work of coming out: shedding false narratives and bearing witness to the audacity of honesty. The title track, along with “Carry On Without Me,” “Punch Line” and “We’re All Waiting” offer distinct reflections on loss–the loss of friends, the loss of hope, and the disillusionment that comes when attachments start to fray. Scheffler’s sense of humor is on display in the ukulele ballad “I Don’t Love You Like I Should” and the playful “Blue Sky Mess,” both of which take a look at the improbable push-pull tension at the heart of long-term connections. If there’s a musical outlier, it’s the beat-forward “Where Do I Know You From?” which captures the mystery that any city dweller has faced at least once–in this case with the tease of a forgotten hookup. 

Truce will be released June 26, 2025 for digital download on all streaming platforms.