Four years after the last full length, Risk To Exist, Maximo Park have just announced their new album, Nature Always Wins, will be released on February 26th 2021 via Prolifica Inc (artwork & tracklisting below). Alongside this news, the band have also shared the album’s first single proper, Baby, Sleep, and a string of headline dates for June 2021.
Baby, Sleep follow on from last month’s surprise new single Child Of The Flatlands. Watch and listen below.
I’m so happy we were able to make this album during lockdown, as it’s been a challenging time for everyone.
Paul Smith, Maximo Park
With nods to to the famous Nature vs Nurture debate, Nature Always Wins deals with the notion of self, identity as a band and the nature of humanity itself. Now a trio, the band enlisted producer Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter) just before lockdown. With the restrictions in place, the album was recorded remotely with the band in Newcastle and Liverpool and producer Allen in Atlanta.
Frontman and lead singer Paul Smith comments on making the album:
After almost 4 years since Risk To Exist, we wanted to explore new musical territory (for us) without sacrificing our trademark melodic twists and heartfelt lyrics. As always, the passing of time looms large, although the songs contain more affection for the past than before, and there are occasional hints of the fractious, divided time that we live in.
Baby, Sleep is a light-hearted look at the surreal nature of sleep-deprivation, and the way it distorts normality in a capitalist society.
Nature Always Wins Artwork & Tracklisting
- Partly Of My Making
- Versions Of You
- Baby, Sleep
- Placeholder
- All Of Me
- Ardour (featuring Pauline Murray)
- Meeting Up
- Why Must A Building Burn
- I Don’t Know What I’m Doing
- The Acid Remark
- Feelings I’m Supposed To Feel
- Child Of The Flatlands
The band have also announced a UK headline tour for June 2021 with stops in Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow among others. Full dates can be found here.
Maximo Park 2021 UK Headline Tour Dates
- Jun 8 Bristol, Trinity Centre
- Jun 9 Stoke Newington, Earth Theatre
- Jun 12 Manchester, O2 Ritz Manchester
- Jun 13 Newcastle Upon Tyne, Boiler Shop
- Jun 15 Sheffield, The Leadmill 2
- Jun 16 Glasgow, Saint Luke’s
- Jun 17 Birmingham, The Mill
A pre-sale is available for fans who pre-order the album via the band’s official store or sign up for their mailinglist (no purchase required). Tickets go on general on October 23rd here.