THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN: MERRIE LAND Album Out Today

Presaged by the recently released "Gun To The Head" and its title track (featured in The New York Times' Playlist)-as well as the band's first live appearance in seven years on Later.... With Jools Holland-Merrie Land, the sophomore album from The Good, The Bad & The Queen is finally released today, November 16, 2018.

Merrie Land follows an 11-year hiatus since The Good, The Bad & The Queen's self-titled 2007 debut, and is self-released on the newly created label Studio 13. Produced by Tony Visconti and The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Merrie Land contains 10 new songs - written during the current period in which the UK is preparing to leave the European Union - creating a reluctant good-bye letter, a series of observations and reflections on Britishness in 2018.

Merrie Land's focus moves beyond GBQ's London-themed first album to a wider land, with a beautiful and hopeful paean to the Britain of today, an inclusive Britain, currently in an Anglo Saxostentialist crises at the end of a relationship, wondering what might be salvaged. Could there be a more perfect band - with their creative symbiosis of pasts and present and shared acclaimed music histories - to reflect on the anticipation, disorientation and confusion of current life?

In preparation for their shows in Blackpool, Glasgow and London the band will play three intimate warm-up shows in Tynemouth, at the Tynemouth CIU Club on November 26th and Cullercoats Crescent Club on November 27th & 28th - each with a rare capacity of less than 100.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen is Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong.

Buy the new album here.

Photo credit: Pennie Smith