The The Release New Single 'Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake'
Their upcoming studio album is their first in a quarter century.
By: Josh Sharpe Aug. 29, 2024
On September 6 THE THE will release Ensoulment, their first studio album in a quarter century. The LP, out via Cinéola / earMUSIC was co-produced by Warne Livesey and the band’s Matt Johnson. Now, they share the LP’s 3rd single, “Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake.”
It is a song Johnson had been trying to write for many years but never managed to finish – until last year. It belongs to the family of songs he has written about London, including “Perfect,” “Flesh & Bones,” “Heartland,” “The Beat(en) Generation,” “Helpline Operator,” “Pillar Box Red,” and others. The track features Johnson on vocals and acoustic guitar; Barrie Cadogan on electric guitar and backing vocals; DC Collard on keyboards; James Eller on bass; Earl Harvin on drums; Sonya Cullingford on fiddle; Gillian Glover on backing vocals.
“I have often drunk my coffee by the grave of William Blake – though these days there are actually two gravestones dedicated to him in the small dissenters’ cemetery that he was thrown into when he died. On and off over the last 40 years I have lived close by and have always found it an inspiring place to sit and meditate upon life. Nostalgia is part of the human condition and change is inevitable in our lives and in the world around us. Large capital cities such as London often amplify the sense of change, although one thing that never seems to change is the cynicism of those in power” says Matt Johnson.
THE THE previously shared “Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot” (and accompanying music video), the 2nd single from Ensoulment, their long-awaited new studio album out September 6 via Cinéola / earMUSIC. The song is co-produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey.
In support of Ensoulment THE THE will embark on a world-wide tour with dates kicking off August 28 with many European and UK dates already sold-out. The North American run starts in Atlanta, GA on October 11 and concludes on November 8 at The Shrine in Los Angeles, CA. The band will play at the Beacon Theater in New York City on October 17. The “Ensouled Tour'' will mark the band’s first since their hugely successful “The Comeback Special” world tour in 2018. All dates are listed below and tickets for North American shows are here.
Ensoulment itself contains echoes of THE THE’s multifaceted musical past, however it is richly representative of the mercurial band’s here and now. Johnson is characteristically unafraid to tackle the emotional complexity inherent in the human condition – intimacy in an age of alienation; democracy in a post-truth age; empire and vassalage; and the inexorable rise of AI – yet the album is equally shot through with hope.
The B-sides for all Ensoulment singles have been composed, performed and produced by Matt Johnson especially for each limited edition 7” vinyl. In this case, the B-side, “Frozen Clouds” will also feature in the soundtrack for director Gerard Johnson’s forthcoming film, Odyssey. Additionally, The The’s “Lonely Planet” from their 1993 album Dusk will be featured as the end credits music in Francis Ford Coppola’s forthcoming new film Megalopolis out September 26.
“It’s vital to be hopeful,” Johnson states. “And I hope people get out of the album what we put into it. It was created under very happy circumstances, with a great vibe amongst the band and all the people that worked on it. There was a lot of thought, a lot of work, a lot of love, a lot of laughter!
THE THE tour dates
8/21 - Cambridge Junction - Cambridge, England SOLD OUT
8/22 - The Waterfront Norwich - Norwich, England SOLD OUT
8/23 - Picturedrome - Holmfirth, England SOLD OUT
8/25 - National Museum Of Ireland - Dublin, Ireland
9/10 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, Norway
9/11 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, Norway SOLD OUT
9/13 - Filadelfia - Stockholm, Sweden
9/14 - Store Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark SOLD OUT
9/15 - Store Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark SOLD OUT
9/17 - Huxleys - Berlin, Germany
9/18 - Carlswerk Victoria - Köln, Germany
9/19 - Ancienne Belgique - Brussels, Belgium SOLD OUT
9/21 - De Roma - Antwerp, Belgium SOLD OUT
9/22 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands SOLD OUT
9/23 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands SOLD OUT
9/25 - Usher Hall - Edinburgh, Scotland SOLD OUT
9/27 - The Civic At The Halls - Wolverhampton, England
9/28 - Alexandra Palace - London, England SOLD OUT
9/30 - O2 Apollo - Manchester, England SOLD OUT
10/1 - O2 Academy Brixton - London, England
10/11 - Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
10/12 - Durham Performing Arts – Durham, NC
10/14 - The Anthem – Washington, DC
10/15 - The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
10/17 - Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
10/19 - Orpheum Theatre – Boston, MA
10/20 - MTELUS – Montreal, QC
10/22 - Massey Hall – Toronto, ON
10/23 - Masonic Cathedral Theatre – Detroit, MI
10/25 - The Salt Shed – Chicago, IL SOLD OUT
10/26 - Palace Theatre – St. Paul, MN
10/29 - Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
10/30 - Eccles Theater – Salt Lake City, UT
11/2 - Paramount Theatre – Seattle, WA
11/3 - Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
11/4 - Orpheum – Vancouver, BC
11/7 - Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
11/8 - Shrine Auditorium – Los Angeles, CA
11/14 - Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre - Auckland, New Zealand SOLD OUT
11/16 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia SOLD OUT
11/17 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
11/18 - Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide, Australia
11/21 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
11/22 - Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
11/23 - Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, Australia SOLD OUT
11/24 - Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, Australia
11/27 - Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth, Australia
Photo credit: Gerald Jenkis
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