Following a two-year hiatus, Nijmegen art rock band De Staat have announced their long-awaited seventh studio album, DE STAAT. Scheduled for release on September 18th via V2 Records, the self-titled record was teased in April with the single "THE KING." The band has now unveiled their second single, "THE FIRE," a propulsive and confrontational track that highlights the group's signature sharp social commentary.
Themes of power, manipulation, misinformation, and autocracy have always run through De Staat's work, but frontman Torre Florim notes that these concepts carry an unprecedented urgency today. According to Florim, the world's current political climate pulled the band down a darker path, making the band's name—which translates to "The State"—take on a whole new weight.
Lyrically, "THE FIRE" strikes at the heart of modern consumer detachment and the comfortable assumption that global disasters will remain safely on the other side of a screen. Florim explains that the song explores the quiet space between knowing about a crisis and acting on it, criticizing how easy it is to mistake observation for engagement.
Known as one of Europe’s most inventive live acts, the quintet is pairing the album announcement with news of an ambitious art installation and conceptual live show titled De Staat Becomes De Staat. Developed in collaboration with an array of prestigious audiovisual artists, lighting designers, and theatre directors, the dystopian show will include three exclusive conceptual performances, including a two-night residency at Amsterdam's Koninklijk Theater Carré in October.
Beyond the initial conceptual shows, De Staat will embark on a wider run of live dates across the EU and the UK. The tour includes festival appearances at Down The Rabbit Hole, followed by club dates throughout Germany, France, and the Czech Republic. The band will wrap up their tour in November with a series of highly anticipated UK and Ireland dates, visiting iconic grassroots venues such as Manchester's Band on the Wall, Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and London's Scala.
