Alternative folk-punk legends The Proclaimers have announced the upcoming release of their 13th studio album, You May Offend. Scheduled to drop on September 11 via Cooking Vinyl, the 12-track record serves as the direct follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2022 project, Denture’s Out.
Written in Edinburgh, the new material was captured in just under three weeks at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Monmouth. To record the album, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid teamed up with producer Dave Eringa, their long-standing live backing band, and guest guitarist James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers. The resulting tracks effortlessly blend punk, new wave, and pop melodies with the biting wit and political fire that have defined the duo's career since their 1987 debut.
The album's newly released title track and lead single, "You May Offend," serves as a direct commentary on the modern state of free speech. The release is accompanied by a surreal, dystopian music video directed by Emmy and BAFTA winners Douglas Mackinnon and Peter Anderson Animation, depicting a world governed by listening machines and silent operators tracking offensive statements.
Musically, the album ranges from the aggressive, post-punk energy of the opening track "Knock It Down" and "Till The Ink Dries" to the witty, synth-pulsed wordplay of "Easy Rhyme." The emotional core of the record is anchored by "The Grooming," a stately, hymnal ballad examining the militarization of youth, while the heavy-hitting "But It Is" takes aim at geopolitical hypocrisy.
The announcement comes as the Scottish duo progresses through an extensive, seven-month, 61-date summer and autumn tour across the UK and Europe. With numerous dates across major cities already completely sold out, the veteran live act will headline major venues through the end of December. You May Offend will be made available on CD, cassette, digital download, and two limited-edition colored vinyl formats in red and gold.
