{"id":4964,"date":"2020-11-24T19:01:29","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T19:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=4964"},"modified":"2026-05-01T18:53:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T17:53:54","slug":"scottish-indie-rockers-arab-strap-announce-their-first-new-album-in-16-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=4964","title":{"rendered":"Scottish indie-rockers Arab Strap announce their first new album in 16 years"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indie-rock legends Arab Strap<\/strong> have today announced their first album in 16 years, plus a full UK and Irish tour for 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They split in 2006 after releasing six critically-acclaimed albums, and core members Aidan Moffat<\/strong> and Malcolm Middleton<\/strong> went their seperate ways until reconvening in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today they announced that As Days Get Dark<\/strong>, their first new album since 2005’s The Last Romance, will be released on Rock Action Records on March 5, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n

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As Days Get Dark is Arab Strap’s first new album since 2005.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s about hopelessness and darkness,\u201d says Moffat. \u201cBut in a fun way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis album feels like its own new thing to me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt’s definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe’re still doing what we always do: Malcolm gives me some guitar parts, then I\u2019ll fuck about with them and put some drum machines and words over the top.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middleton adds: \u201cWe’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.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As well as announcing the new album, which can be pre-ordered HERE<\/a><\/strong>, they released Compersion Pt 1<\/strong> as the lead single.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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