The Rolling Stones by Mark Seliger
A new album from The Rolling Stones and a big win for Ezra Collective were among last week’s biggest headlines on Live4ever.
As expected, The Rolling Stones have confirmed they will release a brand new studio album on October 20th.
Hackney Diamonds is set to be the veteran band’s first collection of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, and will comprise 12 tracks recorded at various locations around the world including Los Angeles’ Henson Recording Studios, Metropolis Studios in London, Sanctuary Studios in the Bahamas, and Electric Lady and The Hit Factory in New York.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood have teamed up with producer Andrew Watt on the LP, whose lead single Angry is out now with a video starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Francois Rousselet, who previously teamed up with the Stones on the Blue & Lonesome cut Ride ‘Em On Down.
The first retrospective on Richard Hawley‘s solo career has been detailed.
Now Then will feature tracks from the songwriter’s twenty-year career, including cuts from albums such as Coles Corner, Standing at the Sky’s Edge and Further along side select choices from the work Hawley has undertaken for various television series.
Available on 2CD and 2LP sets, the compilation has been curated by Hawley with his long-term collaborator Colin Elliot.
The video for ‘Marvin descending’, taken from Christine and the Queens‘ recent PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE album, has premiered.
It arrived on the evening a UK and Ireland tour began at Symphony Hall in Birmingham (September 6th), with more dates set to come in Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin before it moves on to mainland Europe next week.
Also on the touring agenda is a North American trip during October, including a New York date at the Hammerstein Ballroom on the 21st of that month.
Ezra Collective by Aliyah Otchere
‘The token jazz nominee’ is a trope almost as old as the award itself, but London-based group Ezra Collective have put that to bed by picking up the 2023 Mercury Prize for their second studio album Where I’m Meant to Be.
In doing so, they beat high profile competition from the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again…, drummer Femi Koleoso responding that their win, ‘represents something very special’:
“This moment that we’re celebrating right here is testament to good, special people putting time and effort into young people to play music. This is not just a result for Ezra Collective, or for UK jazz, but this is a special moment for every single organisation across the country, ploughing efforts and time into young people playing music.”
The Gaslight Anthem have shared their latest History Books single Little Fires – ‘like the opposite end of the spectrum from the frustration you feel in History Books’, according to Brian Fallon.
“It’s an empowerment song, about refusing to play along with the kind of people who always seem to be throwing a grenade into the room for no particular reason.”
The title-track mentioned by Fallon was unveiled back in July and featured a well known long-time champion of the band: “When Bruce Springsteen said I should write a duet for us, I think my head exploded,” Fallon added.
Next year should start well thanks to confirmation that Sprints will release their highly anticipated debut album Letter To Self on January 5th, 2024.
“Up & Comer is a pretty dry take on a fear and self consciousness that has been ruminating in me since I picked up an instrument. This innate fear that maybe I would always be ‘good for a girl’, but would I ever actually be great?,” Karla Chubb has said of the lead track.
“It’s an invisible narrative that has been constructed by the doubts and negativity I’ve been fed by others, as well my own imposter syndrome. It’s a song that takes aim at the idea that some of these traits and behaviours may almost be hereditary, and instead of letting that continue to hold me back, finally break free of the expected, embrace the anger and let it rip. The only way is forward.”