Jack Ladder Searches for A Feeling In Great New Track, "Missing"

By: Josh Kitchen / June 6, 2025

"Missing" directed by Stephanie Jane Day, produced by Badlands

“What kind of man gets his kicks from singing about the bad things that happen to him?,” Jack Ladder asks on his latest track, aptly titled "Missing." Ladder—whose real name is Tim Rogers—has long been one of the preeminent voices in the art of dark croonerism, using his cavernous baritone to evoke feelings that seem to reside just beneath our collective skin. He might go lower here than ever before, in this sprawling six-minute ballad built around a melancholic piano progression that recalls the tender, grand introspection of Weyes Blood’s “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody."

Where Natalie Mering arrives at the realization that society at large probably feels the way she does—adrift but united in disconnection—Ladder’s gaze turns inward. His search is lonelier, more abstract, circling the idea that maybe the thing he’s missing was never really there to begin with. Eventually, he’s joined by frequent collaborator and fellow soul-searcher Sharon Van Etten, and together they drift into a lush, cinematic swell—evoking the emotional scope and polished orchestration of classic Jimmy Webb tracks.

When I spoke with Ladder in 2024, as he was preparing to record his new album in Los Angeles, he mentioned his desire to make his “LA album”—and you can certainly hear the makings of that in this first glimpse into the project.

Also out is the video for “Missing,” directed by Stephanie Jane Day. It features Ladder seated alone on a ferry, sunglasses on, gazing either out to sea or occasionally rising to scan the passing crowd before sitting back down again—searching, waiting for something that may or may not be there. While simple in concept, the video fits the song’s mood perfectly. Pay attention to Ladder's excellent yellow socks, which contrast beautifully against the blues in the water, captured through the sharp camera work of Dimitri Zaunders.

Make sure you follow Jack Ladder here for all updates and listen to "Missing" below: