The Charlatans – Tim Burgess, Mark Collins, Martin Blunt and Tony Rogers - release their twelfth album, Modern Nature on BMG Chrysalis on 26th January 2015.
To coincide with the release, the band also confirm an eight date UK tour kicking off on March 3rd in Bristol and finishing at The Roundhouse in London on March 16th.
The album comes after a brutally difficult year for the band following the death from brain cancer of their old friend and drummer Jon Brookes last year. Rogers says that they were determined to carry on to honour Brookes' memory - "Jon was adamant that there was going to be another Charlatans record, and you have to put that into your own thoughts."
The band went into their Cheshire studio Big Mushroom in January 2014 and as Tim recalls "We were aching for the summer when we wrote it. It was freezing and we were trying to write songs that made us happy. “
The result is Modern Nature. Featuring eleven new tracks including the recent limited edition 7” single and 6 Music A List record ‘Talking In Tones’ and forthcoming first single proper ‘So Oh’ released on December 1st, click on the link below for a listen. The album was produced by The Charlatans and Jim Spencer and mixed by Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Portishead) and features contributions from their three temporary drummers - Pete Salisbury of The Verve, Stephen Morris of New Order and Gabriel Gurnsey of Factory Floor, to Kate Bushs’ backing singer Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin, strings by Sean O’ Hagan and brass courtesy of Dexys’ Big Jim Paterson. Q have already described the album as “ one the finest of their career.”
Modern Nature will be available on cd, vinyl, deluxe cd and vinyl (featuring four bonus songs and coloured vinyl) and download. The tracklisting for the album is as follows; Talking In Tones/So Oh/Come Home Baby/Keep Enough/In The Tall Grass/Emilie/Let The Good Times Be Never Ending/I Need You To Know/Lean In/Trouble Understanding/Lot To Say
The shows in March will be The Charlatans’ first full UK tour since 2010. Pete Salisbury who plays on much of the album will be drumming on all dates. Tickets are priced £32.50 in London and Manchester and £27.50 everywhere else. Supports to be confirmed.
The dates are;
March
3rd
Bristol, Academy +
5th
Manchester, Albert Hall **
7th
Leeds, Academy +
9th
Hull, University +
10th
Glasgow, Barrowlands *
13th
Wolverhampton, Civic Hall *
14th
Leicester, Academy ^
16th
London, Roundhouse ^^
Support acts:
+ Blossoms
** Factory Floor, Hot Vestry & DJs - Stephen and Gillian
* Factory Floor
^ Riding The Low
^^ Factory Floor and The Quietus DJs
Tickets go on general sale this Friday 24th October at 9am from gigsandtours.com.
If you’re lucky enough to have tickets, the band are playing a one off gig tonight at The Garage in London, which became the fastest ever selling gig at the venue. It sold out in 3 minutes. Grumbling Fur support.
Lets leave the last word with The Quietus……
“In Modern Nature, The Charlatans have achieved that rare feat of making a gigantic step forward without losing what made them so special in the first place.”
‘So Oh’ is released on 1st December 2014
Modern Nature is released on 26th January 2015
