Lauren Daigle stepped onto one of New Orleans' most storied stages last week - and walked away with more than just a memory.
The two-time Grammy winner made a surprise appearance at Preservation Hall during Jazz Fest's first weekend, joining the legendary venue's Midnight Preserves benefit series on the night of April 25. The late-night series, which runs after each day of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, pairs the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guest artists in an intimate, historic setting. Proceeds go toward music education and musician support programs through the Preservation Hall Foundation.
Daigle, who is from Louisiana, shared a heartfelt response on social media the following morning that quickly drew attention - not just for how she described the night, but for what she said at the end of it.
"My soul feels like it's flying," she wrote, describing the experience as "a step back in time yet the most current expression of power." She called the moment of jumping onstage with musicians she had never performed with before a highlight she would "hold onto for the rest of time."
Then came the line her fans will want to remember: "I guess this is what I need to make a new record."
Daigle closed her post with a simple acknowledgment of faith, writing, "God is good! I can't help but still be jaw dropped at what He allows me to experience through music and creativity."
The timing adds weight to the hint. Her current single "Let It Be a Hallelujah" - a song she wrote nearly a decade ago and shelved before its recent release - recently topped Billboard's Christian Airplay chart and won Worship Song of the Year at the We Love Christian Music Awards. Her last full studio album, the self-titled Lauren Daigle, was released in 2023. Earlier this year, she also contributed the single "You Lead Me" to the House of David Season 2 soundtrack on Prime Video.
No official album announcement has been made. But for an artist who once described her music as her "rebirth," a night at Preservation Hall that left her buzzing may be exactly the kind of spark that starts something new.
Source: Lauren Daigle / Instagram (April 25, 2026)
