Progressive indie rock group Black Country, New Road have announced Forever Howling, which will be out April 4 via Ninja Tune. It’s their first LP since original singer Isaac Wood left the group just days before they released 2022’s Ants from Up There. The group currently consists of May Kershaw, Tyler Hyde, Lewis Evans, Charlie Wayne, Luke Mark, and Georgia Ellery, and they made the album with James Ford (Fontaines DC, Depeche Mode).
The first single from the album is its opening song, “Besties,” a Beatlesque baroque pop number that is also the first BCNR song to feature lead vocals from Georgia Ellery, who splits her time as one half of Jockstrap. It comes with a video directed by Rianne White.
“‘Besties’ came into my world with a dance of feelings, with such an understood concept of exploring the core emotion of taking on the world, and its obstacles to be with her, the bestie, again,” says Rianne White. “Building this with the band took me to so many memories, informed by a collective of experiences from my childhood writing letters and maps to my bestie, into formulating our own map and sliding-doors effect narrative – charged with the instinctual punch and intuition of – I need to be with my bestie now. Working with Georgia, May and Tyler was a real treat across their performances especially, and quite literally, running from the more conventional lip-sync world, and injecting cameo moments with Charlie, Lewis and Luke. Knee-high in January’s jacket of mud, darkness, fields, street corners and a pack of hounds we found the beating heart of a world made better by chasing love and connection. Shooting in these conditions, and having fun is a real testament to a fantastic team and collective of people! It’s been such a pleasure, this song was love at first harpsichord!”
Watch the video below.
Black Country, New Road have also announced a short West Coast tour surrounding their appearance at Salt Lake City’s Kilby Block Party that includes dates with St. Vincent, Friko, and Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman. All dates are listed below.
Forever Howlong:
1. Besties
2. The Big Spin
3. Socks
4. Salem Sisters
5. Two Horses
6. Mary
7. Happy Birthday
8. For the Cold Country
9. Nancy Tries to Take the Night
10. Forever Howlong
11. Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD – 2025 TOUR DATES
North America
Tue May 13 – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL, US [^]
Wed May 14 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE, US [+]
Fri May 16 – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO, US [*]
Sat May 17 – Kilby Block Party – Salt Lake City, UT, US
Mon May 19 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA, US [~]
Tue May 20 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA, US [~]
Thu May 22 – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA, US [~]
Fri May 23 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US [~]
Sat May 24 – Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US [~]
[^] Friko & Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
[+] Friko
[*] supporting St. Vincent
[~] Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
Europe & UK
Sat 7 Jun – Primavera Sound – Barcelona, ES
Fri 15 Aug – Paredes De Coura – Paredes De Coura, PT
Sun 17 Aug – Lowlands Festival – Biddinghuizen, NL
Thu 28 – Sun 31 Aug – End Of The Road – Dorset, UK
Thu 11 Sep – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
Fri 12 Sep – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
Mon 15 Sep – Olympia – Dublin, IRE
Thu 18 Sep – Barrowlands – Glasgow, UK
Sat 20 Sep – The Glasshouse – Gateshead, UK
Mon 22 Sep – Beacon – Bristol, UK
Wed 24 Sep – The Corn Exchange – Cambridge, UK
Thu 9 Oct – Casino De Paris – Paris, FR
Fri 10 Oct – Stereolux – Nantes, FR
Sun 12 Oct – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
Tue 14 Oct – Gloria – Cologne, DE
Wed 15 Oct – Astra – Berlin, DE
Fri 17 Oct – Vega – Copenhagen, NL
Sat 18 Oct – Fallan – Stockholm, SWE
Sun 19 Oct – Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO
Tue 21 Oct – Mojo – Hamburg, GE
Wed 22 Oct – Roxy – Prague, CZ
Thu 23 Oct – Les Docks – Lausanne, SWI
Sat 25 Oct – Magazzini Generali – Milan, ITA
Sun 26 Oct – Epicerie Moderne – Lyon, FR
Tue 28 Oct – Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, BE
Thu 30 Oct – Brighton Dome – Brighton, UK
Fri 31 Oct – O2 Brixton Academy – London, UK