Howling Bells return with their first new music in over a decade, a single, ‘Unbroken‘, out now on Nude Records. In celebration of the new release, the band has confirmed a super-intimate London show for 5th November, tickets for which go on sale next week.
A brooding yet soaring anthem, ‘Unbroken’ sees weighty guitars and sweeping melodic pay-offs wrap around singer Juanita Stein’s unmistakable voice, carrying lyrics full of dreamy persistence that still aim skywards: “Always been lost in a big dream”. As Stein says, “You can either call it childlike or stupidity, but you have to have that in order to believe that something greater can happen. Surviving as a band for over two decades requires extraordinary grit and, to some degree, irrationality. None of it really makes sense, except for the will and the love of the music itself. Unbroken is very much a testament to all of this.”
The band’s first release since their 2014 album, ‘Heartstrings’, ‘Unbroken’ was recorded with Howling Bells’ long-time friend and collaborator, producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Elbow) at his Agricultural Audio Studios. The single comes with a performance video that sees Stein, her brother and guitarist Joel and drummer Glenn Moule reunited on stage once more.
LISTEN TO ‘UNBROKEN’ HERE
WATCH ‘UNBROKEN’ VIDEO HERE
Fans will be thrilled to learn that Howling Bells will return to the stage for a very special full band show in celebration of the new single at the iconic Lock Tavern in Camden on 5th November. Tickets for this special show will go on sale at 10 AM on Tuesday 23rd September.
Wednesday 5 November – The Lock Tavern, London – TICKETS
‘Unbroken’ marks a powerful re-entry for a band that helped shape the mid-2000s alternative landscape. Formed in Sydney and relocated to London, Howling Bells first captured ears and imaginations with their self-titled debut in 2006 – a noir-rock classic that fused moody atmospheres with melodic bite. Influenced by the likes of Tom Waits and Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac and Bjork, their recipe created a heady, submersive stew – equal parts sepia-toned romance and gritty rock’n’roll thrills. They continued to develop over three more albums – 2009’s ‘Radio Wars’, 2011’s ‘The Loudest Engine’ and 2014’s ‘Heartstrings’. There was no dramatic dissolution or even an announcement of an intended hiatus but, as Juanita explains, “life just happened”, and the Bells rang silent for a decade. In the interim, all have continued with various projects: Juanita releasing four acclaimed solo albums; Joel making music as Glassmaps, and both he and Glenn intermittently playing in Brandon Flowers’ solo band. Most crucially, all three also continued to be firm friends who always left the door open for more.
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