With Mike Peters of The Alarm filling in for late frontman Stuart Adamson, reunited Scottish rockers Big Country next week will release their first single in 12 years — the Steve Lillywhite-produced “Another Country,” the first step toward a brand-new studio album and a planned 30th anniversary tour next year.
The single is due out Aug. 29 in the U.K. as a digital download and on CD, with B-sides recorded live in concert this year and during radio sessions. According to a post on Big Country’s website earlier this year, Lillywhite said, “When I heard the demo of their new song, I was impressed on first listen. I am looking forward to working with the band again whom I last worked with in the ’80s on one of my favourite albums I have ever produced — The Crossing.”
The band, sidelined by Adamson’s 2001 suicide, plans a series of smaller dates to “break in” new songs. Peters notes, ” “Due to the success of the January and April tours, the band have decided to continue and have already started planning for a new album and a 30th anniversary tour in the new year.” And guitarist Bruce Watson adds, “We are 100% dedicated and intent on making this new line up a permanent one. We can finally look forward to completing unfinished business from the past, particularly internationally, and look to a creative and active future.”
Below, you can see video of Big Country performing “Another Country” live earlier this year, and hear the song recorded in session for Scotland’s Radio Clyde.
Tracklist: Big Country, “Another Country”
Download:
1. “Another Country”
2. “Just a Shadow” (Billy Sloan Session)
3. “Never Take Your Place” (Live from Edinburgh, April 2011)
Download:
1. “Another Country”
2. “Just a Shadow” (Billy Sloan Session)
3. “Steeltown” (Billy Sloan Session)
4. “Never Take Your Place” (Live from Edinburgh, April 2011)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Alarm celebrates 30th anniversary with ‘The Sound and The Fury’ album, film
- Big Country enlists The Alarm’s Mike Peters as lead singer for 30th anniversary tour
- Big Country to release ‘Peace In Our Time: Live In Moscow 1988′ CD/DVD package
- The Alarm’s Mike Peters reschedules fall U.K. tour to April to care for his wife
Hearing Peters had joined BC was a pleasant surprise from not too long ago. Anyone who has heard him talk about him coming into the band and about his respect for Stewart and his BC legacy has to be pleased as well. Hopefully, this new line up can create something memorable and of their own. (Some US dates wouldn’t hurt either!)
Nice!
Sounds bloody great to me , just like classic Alarm ! here’s hoping both sets of fans buy it , they deserve it . Seen them in Scotland this year by the way , AMAZING live !
I remember when Stuart Adamson took his life in the hotel down the street on Waikiki. I was sure that was the end of BC. I am stoked that they haven’t stopped and they can work on their ‘unfinished business’. (Mike Peters needs to work on his HEP HEP HEP a bit though – ha ha) -aloha!
“The band, sidelined by Adamson’s 2001 suicide…”
Understatement of the year. Who wrote this?