THE WILDHEARTS have announced a brand new studio album and a major tour.
21st Century Love Songs follows swiftly on from 2019's Renaissance Men, their first album in a decade, which saw them return to the upper reaches of the charts reaching the #11 spot, their highest placing since 1994's PHUQ.
"Renaissance Men reminded me of our first album, Earth Vs The Wildhearts. No one knew how the fans and press would receive it, so it was balls-to-the-wall rock and fuck 'em if they don't like it," says Ginger. "Going in again, for 21st Century Love Songs, naturally reminded me of our second album, PHUQ, where we got to flex our creative muscle, and show everyone what we're capable of. This time we let the songs simmer until absolutely ready. We let the theme of the album present itself. There's a subtlety to this album, something that people don't often associate with The Wildhearts, and a sense of adventure in the unorthodox arrangements of the songs. This is where I become a fan of the band, when we ditch the rule book and just follow our instinct. Sarcastic, fun, angry, proud, experimental and belligerent, all wrapped up in a big 'fuck you', this is the sound of the band in their natural habitat. This time we're in control.”
Set for release on 3 September through Graphite Records, 21st Century Love Songs is available to pre-order, in various bundles, here.
The band have a raft of festival dates this summer, following which they'll be heading out on a headline tour in support of the album. Full dates are...
July
17 Sat Ramblin Man Fair, Maidstone
25 Sun Steelhouse Festival, Ebbw Vale
29 Thu Wacken Open Air 2021, Wacken, Germany
30 Fri Rock and Blues Custom Show, Derby
31 Sat Cleethorpes Rocks, Cleethorpes
August
13 Fri Bloodstock
21 Sat Razernij Festival, Antwerp, Belgium
Headline Tour
September
03 Fri - Tramshed, Cardiff
04 Sat - SWX, Bristol
05 Sun - Phoenix, Exeter
06 Mon - Cheese & Grain, Frome
08 Wed - Academy 2, Manchester
09 Thu - Electric Ballroom, London
10 Fri - Waterfront, Norwich
11 Sat - Chalk, Brighton
12 Sun - Madding Crowd, Bournemouth
15 Wed - KKs Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
16 Thu - Guildhall, Gloucester
17 Fri - Boiler Shop, Newcastle
18 Sat - Stylus, Leeds
20 Mon - Mac Arts, Galashiels
21 Tue - Tolbooth, Stirling
22 Wed - The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
24 Fri - Foundry, Sheffield
25 Sat - Engine Rooms, Southampton
October
1 Fri - Great British Alternative Festival, Skegness
2 Sat - MK11, Milton Keynes
15 Fri - Roadmender, Northampton
16 Sat - Cornwall Rocks, Cornwall
November
5 Fri - MMH Radio 10 Year Birthday Bash, Birmingham
11 Thu - Hedworth Hall, South Shields
12 Fri - Monsterfest, Inverness
Tickets are on sale here.