Enter Shikari have announced that their new album, ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, will be released on April 21st via SO Recordings / Ambush Reality.
Along with the news, the band has also shared the lead single, ‘(pls) set me on fire’, as well as news of special monthly residency shows in the UK this spring.
Frontman Rou Reynolds explains how the pandemic affected the band and their connection with their fans. “At the time it felt like we ourselves, as musicians, were experiencing the death of our band,” he reveals. “I just didn’t realize that the human and physical connection to other people were so central to how I write.”
The band’s new single, ‘(pls) set me on fire’, is the first release from what is described as “Enter Shikari 2.0”, as Reynolds explains: “Honestly, I thought I was f*****. I’ve never felt so detached from my soul, my purpose, my f****** spirit. I didn’t write music for almost two years. The longest I’d gone before that was two weeks. I was broken. It’s almost as if my brain had asked: “What is the point in music if it cannot be shared? What is the point in writing music if it’s not to be experienced with others?” and then promptly switched itself off. ‘(pls) set me on fire’ grew out of that desperation. This song is a projectile vomit of positive energy. Every emotion trapped inside me for two years, finally set free.”
Recorded in the spring of 2022 in a farmhouse in Chichester, using only solar power to track the album, You continues: “Back to basics. This band – my best friends – bundled into an old farmhouse, miles away from anywhere. Off-grid, and ready to rediscover ourselves. This album is powered by the sun, the most powerful object in our solar system. And I think you can tell. It’s a collection of songs that represent an explosive reconnection with what Enter Shikari is. The beginning of our second act”.
Limited formats of the new album come packaged with the Live From Alexandra Palace 3 album & DVD, recorded live in December 2021 at the band’s sold-out 10,000 capacity London show.
The album will be supported by a run of shows across Europe and the US, as well as a special UK residency this spring. Reynolds explains their thinking: “It’s hard to do anything interesting with live shows today. We wanted to do something different. We’re going to become a local band to five major cities in the UK. It’s going to be interesting to see how the shows evolve every time we return.”
Exclusive access to tickets begins 19th Jan for members of the band’s fan club, or anyone pre-ordering the album. General sale begins 26th Jan.
The dates read:
FEBRUARY
15 – HERE at Outernet, London, UK
16 – New Century Hall, Manchester, UK
17 – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, UK
19 – SWX, Bristol, UK
20 – St Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
MARCH
14 – New Century Hall, Manchester, UK
15 – St Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
16 – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, UK
17 – HERE at Outernet, London, UK
18 – SWX, Bristol, UK
APRIL
5 – Knust, Hamburg, DE
7 – Botanique, Brussels, BE
8 – Luxor, Koln, DE
13 – St Luke’s, Glasgow, UK
14 – New Century Hall, Manchester, UK
15 – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, UK
16 – SWX, Bristol, UK
17 – HERE at Outernet, London, UK
MAY
3 – Echoplex, Los Angeles, USA
5 – Bottom Lounge, Chicago, USA
10 – Bowery Ballroom, New York, USA
