According to Brooklyn Vegan, British indie-rock band The Wedding Present, has released their new album Locked Down & Stripped Back on February 26 via Scopitones. The album features new renditions of some of the group’s classic songs including “Blonde,” “Granadaland” and “My Favourite Dress,” as well as a few new tracks. The new album follows the band’s 2016 LP Going, Going, as well as a 2008 North American tour.

Frontman David Gedge reveals how the album came about, explaining that following the inevitable cancellation of his annual festival in Brighton due to COVID-19, “I decided to replace it with an ‘online’ version, presented live from my own living room and featuring home-recorded videos from many of the artists that had appeared at the festival over the years. For The Wedding Present’s contribution, we picked twelve tracks to re-work in a ‘semi-acoustic’ style, and it was fascinating to see how stripped-back arrangements brought out different aspects of the songs. The Seamonsters track ‘Blonde’ was a prime example of this, with a ‘just-two-guitars’ approach resulting in a naïve and moving interpretation.”

Listen to “My Favourite Dress” from Locked Down & Stripped Back here:

“My Favourite Dress,” originally released in 1987 on the album George Best, takes on a more laid-back sound than its predecessor in this recent remake. The simplistic version of the poppy track slows everything down, and listeners get to hear a mellow and matured side of Gedge’s vocals. 

Listen to “Granadaland” from Locked Down & Stripped Back here:

“Granadaland,” which first appeared on the band’s 1989 album Bizarro gets a softer, sweeter makeover in the new album. The instrumental of the angsty track is taken down a notch and smoothed out, which meshes well with Gedge’s seasoned voice. The new style gives the track a nostalgic tone, reminiscent of young love.

Locked Down & Stripped Back tracklist:

1. A Million Miles
2. Starry Eyed
3. You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends
4. You’re Just A Habit That I’m Trying To Break
5. Sports Car
6. Blonde
7. California
8. We Should Be Together (feat. Louise Wener)
9. Granadaland
10. Crawl
11. Dear Caught In The Headlights
12. My Favourite Dress