09 July 2025
Marco Gandolfi
Indie darlings Circa Waves have today announced the highly anticipated second chapter of their latest album, Death & Love Pt. 2, set for release on October 24th via Lower Third/[PIAS]. This new installment brings together both parts of the ambitious project, forming an 18-track album available for pre-order on CD and double gatefold vinyl.
To celebrate the announcement, the band has dropped their brand new single, ‘Cherry Bomb’. The track showcases a bubbling, laid-back indie sound reminiscent of The Strokes, featuring freeform verses leading into a sweet, anthemic chorus. Frontman Kieran Shuddall describes ‘Cherry Bomb’ as being "all about that person who would do anything for you… the person who keeps you level and someone who is generally a bit of a badass. We all need a cherry bomb in our life.” The accompanying video, directed by guitarist Joe Falconer, is also out today.
Death & Love Pt. 1, released in January 2025, delved into Shuddall’s profound experience with a life-threatening heart condition in early 2023. The creative outpouring that followed this brush with mortality necessitated a two-part release. “I’d written so much stuff after all the heart incident stuff – there was a release of creativity,” Shuddall admits, confirming an unprecedented period of songwriting.
Both records, produced by Shuddall and recorded between a friend’s studio in Finsbury Park and the iconic RAK Studios in London, chronicle a journey of resilience. While ‘part one’ grappled with fear and recovery, Shuddall notes, “this album feels like the more optimistic part of the two records. It’s about love, life, survival and euphoria.”
The new chapter kicks off with ‘Lost In The Fire,’ a track that immediately champions life. From the sweet melody of ‘Stick Around’ to the kaleidoscopic pop of ‘Love Me For The Weekend’, and the dreamy nuances of ‘Sunbeams’ before concluding with the psych-waltz of ‘Wave Goodbye,’ Death & Love Pt. 2 completes the emotional arc, transforming adversity into celebratory anthems.
Fans can join Circa Waves for an exclusive album launch party, ‘It’s A Matter Of Death & Love,’ at Signature Brew, Haggerston in London on July 16th. The event promises a special ‘Cherry Bomb’ cocktail, a ‘Death vs Love’ DJ set by the band, a photo wall, and even a confessional booth.
