Echo & The Bunnymen today revealed that the band’s upcoming 12th studio album — produced by Killing Joke bassist Youth — is nearing completion and will be formally announced soon, and that frontman Ian McCulloch “feels it’s the band’s best work for a very long time.”
Additionally, according to the band’s Facebook post, a full European tour already is booked, and U.S. dates are planned to follow, too. The record’s title and artwork have been selected, the Bunnymen note, although those details have not yet been divulged.
The album will be band’s first since 2009′s The Fountain.
Although McCulloch and Will Sergeant have continued to perform as the Bunnymen, they’ve recorded separately for the past couple years. McCulloch last year released a fan-funded studio album called Pro Patria Mori that recent was reissued last year in a 2CD package titled Holy Ghosts that also features a live album, which was produced and mixed by Youth.
And Sergeant released an instrumental solo album and has recorded a new album with his former bandmate Les Pattinson as the instrumental group Poltergeist.
The band’s full message on Facebook:
Echo & The Bunnymen New Album & Tour Announcement very soon.
We are very excited to announce that the brand new studio album produced by Youth (The Verve, embrace etc) is nearing completion and that a title and artwork are decided plus a full European tour already booked. US dates to follow.
Ian feels it’s the bands best work for a very long time.
More details to follow.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Vintage Video: Echo & The Bunnymen in Liverpool, 1982 — watch 30-minute UK TV special
- Echo & The Bunnymen’s ‘Crocodiles’ to be reissued in expanded ‘hardback’ 2LP set
- Q&A: Echo & The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant on new instrumental trio Poltergeist
- Echo & The Bunnymen to begin recording new Youth-produced album in coming weeks
- Echo & The Bunnymen’s ‘Crocodiles’ to be reissued on red vinyl for Record Store Day
Looking forward to hearing the new material. I would like to see them live again too. It’s been ten years since I saw them last.
Pro Patria Mori is one my all-time faves. I still listen to it.
Youth is also producing Peter Murphy’s next album “Lion”. Quite the busy guy.
Lookin’ forward to this. I think even Ian is admitting that their last album was pretty uninspired.
The album will be band’s first since 2009′s The Fountain, which was, by all accounts, a desperate mess.
Oh man. I would LOVE to see them.
No mention of the two new tracks they played live in concert? Echo and the Bunnymen live at the 02 Academy in Liverpool on Sat 14th December 2013
New Tracks:
1). Lovers On The Run – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZlzvXp3qfw
2). Holy Moses – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5of4UYxd2Q
Thanks for the links. The 2nd one (Moses) is better to these ears. The key for this band’s future–as anything other than an oldies act–is for Ian to embrace his wracked voice. Drink, drags, and mostly age–it happens. But look at Waits & Cohen–Ian needs to embrace the clown, not the soaring rock star. He ain’t 22.
…and they will tour and play ZERO tunes off the new record.