Carys Anderson May 25, 2023 | 5:26pm ET
Royal Blood have a new album on the way. Back to the Water Below arrives September 8th via Warner Records, while lead single “Mountains at Midnight” is available to stream below.
Back to the Water Below marks Royal Blood’s fourth studio album, but in some ways, this go-around is the first time bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher really believed in their power as a band. “No-one saw the years of us playing in loads of bands to no-one, that all gets swept under the carpet because the other story is magical and much more wondrous,” Kerr explained in a statement. “Luck is where passion meets opportunity. We got our golden ticket and walked out as tiny ninjas. We were in the right place at the right time, and we have to remember to give ourselves the credit that we didn’t get into this position by winning a quiz show, we put in a serious amount of work. It’s taken us four albums to realise this isn’t luck, we’re good and we’re committed to this.”
As such, the artists produced the new LP themselves. According to Thatcher, “I think this record was about letting the ideas take us where they needed to go. If there was a song that was calling us to do something that wasn’t typically what we’re known for, that’s where we’re going to go. The songs are in charge and if that means having a record that’s quite varied that’s what we’re going to go for, rather than trying to shoehorn everything into the same world. As a result, we’ve made a record that’s a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s everything we could do.”
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“Mountains at Midnight” isn’t a slow burner. The single begins with guitar (er, bass)-scratching feedback as Kerr sings, “I’m a ticking timebomb hooligan come to light your fuse/ 24-carat thug in a velvet glove.” Watch Royal Blood perform the track to a raging crowd in its music video below.
Back to the Water Below follows Royal Blood’s 2021 album Typhoons. The new project will be available on CD, cassette, and vinyl, with a deluxe vinyl package offering an additional 7-inch featuring two bonus tracks. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Royal Blood are about to embark on a UK/European tour that includes performances at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend and Glastonbury. After that, they’ll head to the States to perform at Sea. Here. Now Festival and Louder Than Life Festival. See the band’s full list of tour dates below, and grab tickets via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed via StubHub’s FanProtect Program.
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Back to the Water Below Artwork:
Back to the Water Below Tracklist:
01. Mountains at Midnight
02. Shiner in the Dark
03. Pull Me Through
04. The Firing Line
05. Tell Me When It’s Too Late
06. Triggers
07. How Many More Times
08. High Waters
09. There Goes My Cool
10. Waves
Deluxe Edition 7” single bonus tracks:
11. Supermodel Avalanches
12. Everything’s Fine
Royal Blood 2023 Tour Dates:
05/26 — Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
05/27 — Plymouth, UK @ Home Park
05/28 — Dundee, UK @ BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend
06/03 — Wiener Neustadt, AT @ Stadion Wiener Neustadt
06/05 — Nijmegen, NL @ Doomroosje
06/06 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
06/07 — The Hauge, NL @ Malieveld
06/09 — Cologne, DE @ RheinEnergieStadion
06/10 — Ulm, DE @ Ulmer Zelt
06/11 — Berlin, DE @ Huxley’s Neue Welt
06/13 — Manheim, DE @ Zeltfestival Rhein Neckar
06/14 — Nancy, FR @ L’AUTRE CANAL
06/15 — Décines Charpieu, FR @ Groupama Stadium – Lyon-Decines
06/15-17 — Santiago de Compostela, ES @ O Son do Camiño
06/20 — Huddersfield, UK @ John Smith’s Stadium
06/21 — Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK @ 02 City Hall
06/21-24 — Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury
06/25 — Milton Keynes, UK @ Milton Keynes Bowl
06/29 — Bourdeaux, FR @ Matmut Atlantique
06/30 — Toulouse, FR @ Le Bikini
07/02 — Lisbon, PT @ Campo Pequeno
07/04 — Santander, ES @ campos de sport de el sardinero
07/07 — Clermont-Ferrand, FR @ La Coopérative de Mai
07/08 — Saint-Denis, FR @ Stade de France
07/09 — Glasgow, UK @ TRNSMT Festival
07/12 — Bern, CH @ Bernexpo Areal Openair
07/13 — Luxembourg, LU @ Neumunster Abbey
07/15 — Marseille, FR @ Orange Vélodrome
07/18 — Rome, IT @ Stadio Olimpico
07/22 — Milan, IT @ Stadio San Siro
07/23 — Steventon, UK @ Truck Festival
07/27-30 — Penrith, UK @ Kendal Calling
07/28-30 — Matlock, UK @ Y Not Festival
07/29 — Brighton, UK @ Brighton Beach
09/16 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Sea. Here. Now Festival
09/21 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
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