BLUR ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW ALBUM ‘THE BALLAD OF DARREN’ OUT 21st JULY 2023

BLUR ANNOUNCE BRAND

NEW ALBUM

‘THE BALLAD OF DARREN’

OUT 21st JULY 2023

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blur will release their first album in 8 years, titled The Ballad of Darren and comprising 10 new tracks, on 21^st July on Parlophone. First track ‘The Narcissist’ is out now, watch visualiser here.

 

Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is the band’s ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015, with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr. ​

 

The Ballad of Darren track listing is: The Ballad, St Charles Square, Barbaric, Russian Strings, The Everglades (For Leonard), The Narcissist, Goodbye Albert, Far Away Island, Avalon and The Heights

 

 

Damon Albarn said – “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.”

 

Graham Coxon said – “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”

 

Alex James said – “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that.”

 

Dave Rowntree said – “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”

 

 

Today’s surprise announcement comes ahead of the band’s return to the place where it all began – Colchester, Essex*– for their first ever performance atlocal landmark Colchester Arts Centre tomorrow, marking the start of a short run of warm-up performances which will see the blur visit Eastbourne Winter Gardens on 21^st May, The Halls Wolverhampton on 26^th May and O2 City HallNewcastle on 28^th May.

 

These warm-up dates are kicking off a summer of highly-anticipated live shows which will bring Alex James, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree together again to perform their iconic and much-loved songs across Europe over the coming months. The band’s first ever show at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8^th July sold out in minutes – with a second Wembley Stadium show added for Sunday 9^th July

 

 

The complete tracklisting for The Ballad of Darren is:

The Ballad

St Charles Square

Barbaric

Russian Strings

The Everglades (For Leonard)

The Narcissist

Goodbye Albert

Far Away Island

Avalon

The Heights

 

blur Above Photo Credit: Reuben Bastienne-Lewis

 

The Ballad of Darren will be available as a Digital Download & Stream (10 tracks as above); Standard CD (10 tracks) and Deluxe CD (12 tracks, w. expanded packaging), Standard Vinyl LP – 12” heavyweight black vinyl; and – exclusive to blur.co.uk – Deluxe Vinyl pressed on 12″ clear vinyl with black swirls, in a gatefold sleeve, with poster, bonus 7” vinyl, album CD (12 tracks) and integrated booklet, including exclusive handwritten notes, sketches and lyrics; and Cassette (10 tracks).

 

Pre order The Ballad of Darren here.

 

About blur

Since announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991, blur went on to revolutionise the sound of English popular music with six successive UK ​ #1 albums Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), Think Tank (2003) and The Magic Whip (2015) and a string of Top 10 singles, including two No 1s with Country House and Beetlebum, helping to propel the band to mass popularity at home and abroad. One of the biggest British bands of the last three decades, blur have released eight studio albums and collected ten NME Awards, six Q Awards, five BRIT Awards and an Ivor Novello Award, and played live to thousands of devoted fans across the globe. The band’s new studio album titled The Ballad of Darren will be released on 21^st July 2023.

 

blur Above

 

* Colchester is the hometown of blur bandmembers Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree, with Damon and Graham first meeting as teenagers at Stanway School. Graham later introduced Dave to both Damon and bassist Alex James. The band’s debut album ‘Leisure’ was released in 1991.

 

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