Black Country, New Road share new single ‘For The Cold Country’
Black Country, New Road | Photo credit: Eddie Whelan
Today, Black Country, New Road share a new single titled ‘For the Cold Country’. The track comes ahead of their new album, ‘Forever Howlong’, which is due out April 4th on Ninja Tune.
‘Forever Howlong’ is the band's first studio release since 2022's UK #3 album ‘Ants From Up There’, which gave them their second Top 5 UK album in 12 months alongside their Mercury Prize shortlisted debut ‘For the first time’, and follows 2023's ‘Live at Bush Hall’, an album The Guardian claimed was a “magical resurgence” in a triumphant five-star review. Now, on studio album three, the band are once again building from the ground up in yet another miraculous musical transformation.
The long-awaited new record was produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur) and sees Black Country, New Road settled into a new shape in which vocal duties – and most of the song writing – is split between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw. The album was announced alongside it's expansive and joyous opener ‘Besties‘, which was met by rapturous praise from both their incredibly dedicated fans and media alike. The track was recently followed up with ’Happy Birthday‘. Inspired by the former single, it is a perfect example of how songs on Forever Howlong are connected in spirit and tone but still feel like very standalone pieces of work.
‘For the Cold Country’ is the first of the singles to feature May Kershaw on lead vocal duties. Building from choral layered vocal melodies and pared back instrumentation, the track swells and transforms into an enlivening, rhythmic breakout that marks one of the records most epic moments. The song speaks once again to the band's proficiency in dynamic control, and their efflorescent songwriting ability.
Hear/share ‘For The Cold Country’ here
As with the songs from their ’Live at Bush Hall’ release, Black Country, New Road, who in 2024 sold out dates across the US earlier in the Spring and performed at Coachella, Glastonbury, Primavera, Green Man, and Pitchfork London, have been road testing material from ‘Forever Howlong’ on stage across the year. Through fan recordings and the band's own constant reinvention, these songs have largely taken shape in plain sight and with the full support of their international fanbase. Despite moving swiftly on after each record, and never having conventionally toured in support of a studio album, the band’s fervent following has only grown and grown regardless.
The band will take to the road again in 2025 in support of the album. Dates will start with an intimate run of UK live shows to take place in April 2025 - in which they will perform the album in full to celebrate it's release - ahead of the band's US dates, as well as festival appearances at Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX, Primavera Sound, Paredes De Coura, Lowlands, and End Of The Road, plus a full UK / EU tour in September and October, ending on their biggest headliner yet at London's O2 Brixton Academy.
Black Country, New Road live dates:
Mon 31 Mar – Pryzm (Banquet Outstore) – Kingston, UK
Tue 01 Apr – Rough Trade Liverpool (Instore) *SOLD OUT* – Liverpool, UK
Wed 02 Apr – Rough Trade Nottingham (Instore) *SOLD OUT* – Nottingham, UK
Sat 05 Apr – Rough Trade East (Instore) *SOLD OUT* – London, UK
Mon 07 Apr – Plaza – Stockport, UK
Tue 08 Apr – Queens Hall – Edinburgh, UK
Wed 09 Apr – Leeds Project House – Leeds, UK
Fri 11 Apr – Town Hall – Birmingham, UK
Sat 12 Apr – Engine Rooms – Southampton, UK
Sun 13 Apr – Epic Studios – Norwich, UK
Tue 15 Apr – Village Underground *SOLD OUT* – London, UK
Sat 03 May – Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX – Mexico City, MX
Fri 09 May – Bowery Ballroom *SOLD OUT* – New York City, NY, US ✹
Sat 10 May – Bowery Ballroom *SOLD OUT* – New York City, NY, US ✶
Tue 13 May – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL, US ☼ ☆
Wed 14 May – Slowdown – Omaha, NE, US ☼
Fri 16 May – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO, US ♢
Sat 17 May – Kilby Block Party – Salt Lake City, UT, US
Mon 19 May – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA, US ☆
Tue 20 May – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA, US ☆
Thu 22 May – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA, US ☆
Fri 23 May – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US ☆
Sat 24 May – Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US ☆
Fri 23 May – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US
Sat 24 May – Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US
✹ support from Asher White
✶ support from @
☼ support from Friko
☆ support from Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
♢ supporting St. Vincent
Sat 07 Jun – Primavera Sound Festival – Barcelona, ES
Fri 04 Jul – Sexto Unplugged – Sesto Al Reghena, IT
Sat 05 Jul – Lars Rock Fest – Chiusi Scalo, IT
Wed 13 Aug – Praia fluvial do Taboão – Paredes De Coura, PT
Sun 17 Aug – Lowlands – Biddinghuizen, NL
Thu 28 Aug – End of the Road 2025 – Dorset, UK
Thu 11 Sep – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
Fri 12 Sep – Albert Hall *SOLD OUT* – Manchester, UK
Sat 13 Sep – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
Mon 15 Sep – Olympia – Dublin, IE
Tue 16 Sep – Olympia – Dublin, IE
Thu 18 Sep – Barrowland – Glasgow, UK
Sat 20 Sep – The Glasshouse – Gateshead, UK
Mon 22 Sep – Beacon – Bristol, UK
Wed 24 Sep – Corn Exchange – Cambridge, UK
Thu 09 Oct – Casino de Paris – Paris, FR
Fri 10 Oct – Stereolux – Nantes, FR
Sun 12 Oct – Paradiso *SOLD OUT* – Amsterdam, NL
Mon 13 Oct – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
Tue 14 Oct – Gloria – Cologne, DE
Wed 15 Oct – Astra – Berlin, DE
Fri 17 Oct – Vega – Copenhagen, DK
Sat 18 Oct – Fallan – Stockholm, SE
Sun 19 Oct – Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO
Tue 21 Oct – Mojo Club – Hamburg, DE
Wed 22 Oct – Roxy – Prague, CZ
Thu 23 Oct – Les Docks – Lausanne, CH
Sat 25 Oct – Magazzini Generali – Milan, IT
Sun 26 Oct – L’Epicerie Moderne Feyzin – Lyon, FR
Tue 28 Oct – Ancienne Belgique – Brussels, BE
Thu 30 Oct – Brighton Dome – Brighton, UK
Fri 31 Oct – O2 Academy Brixton – London, UK
Tickets are on sale now - here
Black Country, New Road's ability to respond to changing circumstances is not only down to their close-knit friendship but due to their talent, adaptability and long standing relationship together as musicians. A mix of classically trained and self-taught, the multi-instrumentalists gathered steam as a band in the late 2010s, regularly playing The Windmill in Brixton alongside friends and peers such as Squid and Black Midi, and soon found themselves being labelled "the best band in the world" by The Quietus.
Here in 2025, ‘Forever Howlong’ is an ambitious, meticulously detailed record that includes everything from folk to prog via baroque pop and touches of alt-rock – with nods to everything from Joanna Newsom to Randy Newman via Fiona Apple and Janis Ian – yet all the while retaining that unmistakably unique sound that only this combination of musicians can come up with. Although hugely varied and expansive, the album also feels deeply cohesive and focused, as it takes three distinct voices and styles and seamlessly intersperses them into a new collective sound.
‘Forever Howlong’ will be available across a range of formats; a standard 2LP on recycled black vinyl, a white label 2LP signed by the band, an Indie exclusive negative effect artworked 2LP, and both a Collector's Edition 2LP with an alternate tracklisting in translucent eco jazz red and a Collector's Edition Cassette, also featuring the alternate tracklisting.
Pre-order “Forever Howlong" here
Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Out April 4th 2024 on Ninja Tune
Digital / CD Tracklisting:
1. Besties
2. The Big Spin
3. Socks
4. Salem Sisters
5. Two Horses
6. Mary
7. Happy Birthday
8. For the Cold Country
9. Nancy Tries to Take the Night
10. Forever Howlong
11. Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
Standard Vinyl (+ Indie / White Label) Tracklisting:
SIDE A
Besties
The Big Spin
Socks
SIDE B
Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary
SIDE C
Happy Birthday
For the Cold Country
SIDE D
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
Forever Howlong
Goodbye (Don't Tell Me)
Collector’s Edition Vinyl Tracklisting:
SIDE A
Besties
The Big Spin
Socks
SIDE B
Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary
SIDE C
Happy Birthday
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
Forever
SIDE D
Forever Howlong
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
For the Cold Country
Collector's Edition Cassette Tracklisting:
Side A
Besties
The Big Spin
Socks
Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary
Side B
Happy Birthday
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
Forever Howlong
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
For the Cold Country
Black Country, New Road is:
Georgia Ellery (Acoustic guitar, mandolin, tenor recorder, violin, vocals)
Lewis Evans (Alto saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, flutes, tenor recorder)
Tyler Hyde (Acoustic guitar, bass guitar, clarinet, harmonium, piano, tenor recorder, vocals)
May Kershaw (Accordion, harpsichord, piano, vocals)
Luke Mark (Acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, electric guitar, lap steel, tenor recorder)
Charlie Wayne (Banjo, drums, percussion, tenor recorder, tuned percussion)
Follow Black Country, New Road:
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
Twitter
Selected praise for ‘Forever Howlong’:
“Forever is a long time, but Black Country, New Road are timeless” / “Britain’s most fearlessly inventive young band” - DORK (5/5)
“Forever Howlong is a remarkably unified – and gloriously intriguing – piece of work.” – MOJO (4/5)
“magnificent” – NME
“elegant, complex and downright beautiful.” – DIY
“a transcendental experience” – So Young
“baroque pop-prog perfection” – Uncut (on “Besties”)
Selected praise for last album “Ants From Up There”:
“a future cult classic” - NME (5/5)
“the sheer grace and ambition of Ants… will prove tough for 2022 to top. A huge leap forward, headfirst into the unknown.” - The Independent (5/5)
“an incredible record” - The Line Of Best Fit (10/10)
"sonic experimentation at its finest" - Gigwise (10/10)
"epic post-rock delivered with a sideways glance" - Music OMH (5/5)
“a gift for the ages” - RIOT (10/10)
“The new kings and queens of new British post-rock take an exhilarating turn for the tuneful.” - Mojo (4/5)
“one of the most innovative bands in Britain" - The Times (4/5)
“The Cambridgeshire post-rock explorers have triumphed in extraordinarily adverse circumstances.” - Mojo (4/5)
“Post-rock chamber ensemble roar right back with maximalist opus.” – Uncut – Album Of The Month (9/10)
“For Black Country, New Road to want to push this far, to delve this deep, on what is only their second shot at making an album together is fairly astonishing.” – Uncut – Album Of The Month (9/10)
“in short, they meet the sky-high potential teased on their first record.” - CLASH (9/10)
“This fully imagined second album showcases an adventurous band at full tilt.” - Record Collector (4/5)
“A phenomenal record” - Dork (4/5)
"Whatever the future holds for Black Country, New Road, this is an album they can be proud of" - Press Association (4/5)
“It [“Ants From Up There”] will take some bettering this year” - The i
“[Black Country, New Road] follow up on their ‘utterly mesmerising’ debut by going brighter and bolder” - Irish Times
