Doom Days, Bastille’s grippingly confident third album, is a record of hope for turbulent times. Made by Dan
Smith with bandmates Kyle Simmons, Will Farquarson and Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, and producer Mark Crew, it sees the Grammy nominated, Brit winning four-piece stretch out and open up like
never before.
Doom Days marks something of a shift in perception from
its widely acclaimed No.1 predecessor ‘Wild World’, which confronted
the world and the actions of those in power. Recorded throughout 2018 at
the band’s South London studio, “One Eyed
Jacks”, the new album captures the need to temporarily switch off and
escape whilst taking the listener on a big night out in search of
distraction from the surrounding apocalypse; be that screaming along to
the radio in the back of an Uber careering through
the city (the electric Quarter Past Midnight), getting loved up in the company of good friends (future classic 4AM), a casual hook-up (Another Place) or the end-of-night longing to be with somebody (the captivating Those
Nights). It revels in the bad decisions we make both personally in our relationships and collectively on a macro scale (Bad Decisions), tells a relatable tale of being cornered into a deep discussion about the world’s problems when
all you want to do is have a good time (Million Pieces),
and wryly confronts modern anxieties, taking side-swipes at phone
addiction, porn addiction, fake news and climate change denial (the
uncompromising Doom
Days).
Doom Days finds Bastille at their most lyrically
provocative, most accomplished, and most vital. It taps into globally
felt worries whilst also working on a much more intimate level. Setting
the album over the course of one night allows the
band to hold a mirror up to the world using personal, relatable
situations.
Bastille’s unique sound – that cinematic, ever changing odd pop that
masks the unusual subject matters and sometimes bleak realities
reflected in their lyrics – has connected with audiences across the
globe like no other British band in recent memory. Having
sold over 8 million albums and with accumulated global streams reaching
over 6.5 billion, the band continue to be one of Spotify’s top 40 most
listened to artists in the world. Their previous albums both debuted at
No.1 in the U.K. and charted top 10 in the
U.S. Recent single “Happier”, now certified platinum in the UK, spent a
full 6 months in the top 10 of the US Hot 100 chart.
As you’d expect of a band that have always cared little about genre,
their third album finds them still evolving and pushing things forward. Doom Days bustles
with energy and ideas. Its diverse sound takes in gospel, house music
and R&B to
name a few, and incorporates instrumentation inspired by their
much-acclaimed Re-Orchestrated tour. The album is at times
introspective, intimate, political and also perhaps their most danceable
yet, with tracks like Million Piecesand Nocturnal
Creaturesbuilt on 90s breakbeats and UK garage hooks. Clever
pop culture references, mood-setting dialogue clips and a rolling cast
of backing vocalists add textures and voices to this night out and help
elevate many of the album’s special moments.
Doom Days is a record that celebrates real human
connections and urges us to keep searching for moments of elation. It’s
an album that starts in the middle of an Uber ride through the city
streets and ends waking on the kitchen floor with the
healing sounds of euphoric new single Joy, which sees
the demons of life’s hangovers dispelled by a simple phone call from
someone special. “That glimmer of hope at the end of the album says
everything,” says Dan. “The smallest human gesture
can pull you back from the brink.”
To mark the release of “Doom Days” the band are excited
to announce a run of 9 intimate dates throughout the UK supporting
local venues in towns and cities away from the usual touring route.
These unique shows will give fans the opportunity
to experience an ‘apocalyptic party’ club night, warming them up with
DJ sets before taking them on a journey through the narrative of the
album, which the band will play live from start to finish. For tickets
go to https://www.bastillebastille.com/live/
Dates are as follows
Friday 29 Nov 2019 – Coventry – Warwick Arts Centre
Sat 30 Nov 2019 – Carlisle – The Sands Centre
Sun 01 Dec 2019 – Aberdeen – Music Hall
Tue 03 Dec 2019 – Bradford – St. George’s Hall
Wed 04 Dec 2019 – Grimsby – Auditorium
Thu 05 Dec 2019 – Llandudno – Venue Cymru Theatre
Sat 07 Dec 2019 – Torquay – The Foundry
Sun 08 Dec 2019 – Portsmouth – Pyramids Centre
Mon 09 Dec 2019 – Margate – Winter Gardens
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Facebook: https://Bastille.lnk.to/DDPreOrderFP
Twitter: https://Bastille.lnk.to/DDPreOrderTW
