Today marks the unveiling of Black Country, New Road’s latest offering, the single “Happy Birthday”. This track comes as a precursor to their highly anticipated album ‘Forever Howlong’, set for release on April 4th via Ninja Tune. The band is set to perform an intimate tour across the UK in April 2025, showcasing the album in its entirety before embarking on a North American tour in May, followed by an extensive UK & EU tour later in the year.
Produced by James Ford—known for his work with icons such as Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, and Blur—’Forever Howlong’ features the band’s newly refined dynamic with Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw sharing vocal and songwriting duties. Following the acclaim of its opener “Besties”, which was embraced by dedicated fans and media, “Happy Birthday” carries the band’s narrative forward with emotive complexity.
Hyde elaborates on the intertwined nature of the tracks, stating, “When I wrote ‘Happy Birthday’ I had Georgia’s song ‘Besties’ in my head. Therefore, the structure of it is heavily influenced by it.” The song builds itself around sprightly piano keys and laid-back guitar, exploring themes of generational disconnect and personal awakening, transitioning into a seamlessly euphoric climax.
Accompanying “Happy Birthday” is a meticulously crafted stop-motion video directed by Lesley-Anne Rose, which chronicles the journey of two birds helping each other elude hunters. Rose has previously produced content for the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and major networks, making her contribution to this visual project particularly significant.
Fans first encountered the ‘Forever Howlong’ tracks during Black Country, New Road’s ‘Live at Bush Hall’ performances in 2023. Much like those previous showcases, the current tracklist has evolved organically through live renditions and audience interactions. Despite the typical album-tour cycle, the group’s fervent and ever-growing fanbase continues to support their evolving artistry.
In 2025, Black Country, New Road will hit the road, starting with their UK tour in April and continuing through North America in May, with a series of festival performances lined up, including Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX and Primavera Sound Barcelona. The tour will culminate in their biggest headline show to date at London’s O2 Brixton Academy. Fans can also participate in listening parties across North America on April 3rd, with over 100 independent stores participating.
‘Forever Howlong’ follows 2022’s critically acclaimed ‘Ants From Up There’, which topped various charts and received accolades from numerous publications, including NPR and Pitchfork. This new chapter for Black Country, New Road promises to push their boundaries further, and we look forward to witnessing their continued innovation and engagement with audiences worldwide.
Link to Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fOdb4STQow
