Saint Etienne have announced details of a new album titled ‘The Night’. Find out more below, and check out the new single ‘Half Light’.
Arriving on December 13 via Heavenly Recordings, the upcoming record marks the 12th studio album from the British trio, and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 album ‘I’ve Been Trying To Tell You’.
Ahead of next month’s release, the band have today (November 14) shared the lead single from the album – an ethereal track called ‘Half Light’.
Coming in at just under two minutes long, the track sees Saint Etienne take on a soothing, ambient sound, and takes listeners on a journey of layered tranquillity. Check it out below.
The atmosphere captured in ‘Half Light’ reflects the mood expressed throughout the full album, a press release states, and seeks to provide a moment of “calm to restless minds and a gentle respite from modern life’s relentless pace”.
Comprising 14 songs, the record was recorded across two locations in Saltaire and Hove earlier this year, and produced by the band in collaboration with composer and producer Augustin Bousfield.
“We wanted to continue the mellow and spacey mood of the last album, perhaps even double down on it, but it’s a very different album, not based on samples; Songs, moods and spoken pieces drift in and out whilst rain pours down outside. It’s the kind of record I like to listen to in the dark or with my eyes closed,” Pete Wiggs said of the album.
“We wanted ‘The Night’ to be a calming album, warm and serene, but at the same time we wanted to create something gorgeous and dense,” added Bob Stanley.
“We were trying to find the state that’s between being awake and asleep, that dream space, with half-forgotten thoughts drifting in, bits of TV dialogue, place names, streets, or football grounds you’ve never even been to. You feel very receptive to sound and half-covered memories when you’re in that state […] You could think of it as one continuous, single track. It’s definitely a headphone album.”
Pre-orders can be found here. Check out the full tracklist below.
‘The Night’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Settle In’
2. ‘Half Light’
3. ‘Through The Glass’
4. ‘Nightingale’
5. ‘Northern Counties East’
6. ‘Ellar Carr’
7. ‘When You Were Young’
8. ‘No Rush’
9. ‘Gold’
10. ‘Celestial’
11. ‘Preflyte’
12. ‘Wonderlight’
13. ‘Hear My Heart’
14. ‘Alone Together’
In other Saint Etienne news, back in 2022 the trio announced a book called How We Used Saint Etienne to Live, which will explored the history of the British indie-dance band and featured all three members.
It was written by journalist and music writer Ramzy Alwakeel – who wrote the 2016 book Smile If You Dare: Politics and Pointy Hats with the Pet Shop Boys – and featured interviews with Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs.
