The Zutons are back with their first album in 16 years, as well as an upcoming run of UK tour dates.
Titled ‘The Big Decider’, the new album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios with songwriter and producer Nile Rodgers, alongside the band’s original producer Ian Broudie. It is set for release on April 26.
Completed by Dave McCabe (guitar, lead vocals), Abi Harding (saxophone, vocals) and Sean Payne (drums, vocals), the forthcoming album follows on from the three LPs the multi-platinum selling band released between 2004 and 2008, and is one “born under the weight of family tragedies”.
According to a press release, the album was “wrestled into shape under the kind of steam that only decades-long friendships – with all their messy fall-outs, make-ups, breakdowns and ultimately love – can muster”, and became symbolic of the love of creating music rising above all else.
The members were also brought together after McCabe’s stay in rehab, which sparked a turning point for the artist and a closer bond being formed between the members.
“Dave has been through an awful lot in the last few years, and these things have obviously really impacted him. But his songwriting has only got better. Now he spends more time on his songs. He’s in touch with his own and others’ emotions, and that all goes into the songs. It has been so nice to watch him grow. I’m so proud of him,” said Harding.
Speaking of the upcoming album, McCabe said it was “great to reconnect with Ian Broudie”, and that working with Chic legend Nile Rodgers was “an amazing experience” which “gave me a confidence that I’ve never felt before making a record”.
The announcement of ‘The Big Decider’ also comes with a new album trailer video – featuring new songs ‘Creeping On The Dancefloor’, ‘Pauline’, ‘In Your Arms’ and ‘Rise’. Check it out below, as well as the full album tracklist.
‘The Big Decider’ tracklist is:
1. ‘Creeping On The Dancefloor’
2. ‘Pauline’
3. ‘Water’
4. ‘In Your Arms’
5. ‘Disappear’
6. ‘Company’
7. ‘The Big Decider’
8. ‘Rise’
9. ‘Best Of Me’
To celebrate the announcement of the new LP – which marks the band’s first new album in 16 years – The Zutons have also shared details of an intimate UK tour, set to run throughout the new year.
Kicking off on January 31, the tour will commence with a slot at the Old Fire Station in Carlisle, before continuing in February with stops in Blackpool, Huddersfield, Milton Keynes, Norwich, Northampton and more.
From there, the band will also play through the first two weeks of March, with intimate shows set to be held in Leicester, Stoke, Dundee, Rossendale and more. The 2024 tour dates will conclude with a stop at St Laurence Church in Reading on March 9.
Tickets are available from 10am GMT next Friday (November 24) and can be found here. Additionally, pre-sale options are available to those who pre-order the new album – which you can do here. Find a full list of dates in the tour poster below.
The Zutons first teased news of a new album back in 2021, when Dave McCabe confirmed that he had headed to Abbey Road Studios to work with Nile Rodgers.
The studio sessions came after the Liverpool band reunited for a tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of their 2004 debut album ‘Who Killed…… The Zutons?’ in 2019.
“We all hated each other, but we never quite split up,” he told NME, adding that the anniversary tour was a way to “test the water” and see if they could make things work again.
“I’m reconnecting with how I was when I was 16,” he added, recalling how sobriety had impacted the songwriting process. “I’ve started to like myself again as a person. Getting up in the morning and brushing my teeth used to be so stressful – I couldn’t wait to get pissed – but now I have to get up and look after my son, so I’ve got a new lease of life and new responsibilities. But with that I get my own enjoyment back and what I was good at.”
