2011, Self-Released,

Rumors & Legends was recorded in spaces where Laura, producer Jon Autry, and a revolving cast of players often were not supposed to be. A traveling studio was set up and torn down in a matter of hours, usually in the middleof the night, and by the time nine-to-five America was up and about the only evidence was the room's reverberance in the recordings.

In addition to Autry, for her third full-length record Balke enlisted the help of percussionist  Zachary Jetter (Humans, th'EMPIRES, Buttonhoof) and keyboard extraordinaire Kurt Friedrich (Rodeo Ruby Love). Together a lush soundscape was created that previous recordings could not afford, orchestrated to compliment Balke's songwriting with depth and texture. In the words of Record Geeks' Jon Rogers,  "This is very pretty, dynamic music with a strong female voice as the focal point. Balke's knack for simplicity and emotional climaxes are reminiscent of some of the best Will Oldham records."

The record was released independantly in November 2011 to CD and vinyl, both encased in a hardbound book. The pages feature Balke's artwork and correspond to each song, using the lyrics to create an image that is illustrative to their content.