Indie-rock legends Arab Strap have today announced their first album in 16 years, plus a full UK and Irish tour for 2021.
Formed in 1995, they were initially an electro-acoustic band with a brooding, spare sound, though they went on to develop a fuller sound that drew deeply on both indie and dance music.
They split in 2006 after releasing six critically-acclaimed albums, and core members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton went their seperate ways until reconvening in 2016.
Today they announced that As Days Get Dark, their first new album since 2005’s The Last Romance, will be released on Rock Action Records on March 5, 2021.
“It’s about hopelessness and darkness,” says Moffat. “But in a fun way.”
Moffat says their aim is not to recapture the ’90s, but instead to create a distinctly new album, with new tools, sounds and a forward-moving sense of exploration.
“This album feels like its own new thing to me,” he says. “It’s definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one.
“We’re still doing what we always do: Malcolm gives me some guitar parts, then I’ll fuck about with them and put some drum machines and words over the top.”
Middleton adds: “We’ve had enough distance from our earlier work to reappraise and dissect the good and bad elements of what we did. Not many bands get to do this, so it’s great to split up. But there’s no point getting back together to release mediocrity.”
As well as announcing the new album, which can be pre-ordered HERE, they released Compersion Pt 1 as the lead single.
Arab Strap also confirmed a seven-date UK and Irish tour for September 2021, with the following dates:
Sept 4th Manchester Academy 2
Sept 5th Dublin Vicar St.
Sept 6th Birmingham The Mill
Sept 7th Bristol SWX
Sept 8th London Electric Ballroom
Sept 9th Newcastle Boiler Shop
Sept 10th Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
Tickets go on sale on November 27 HERE.
