Courting have shared their latest single ‘Throw’ as well as announced their new album ‘New Last Name’ which was co-produced by The Cribs.
Set for release on January 26, 2024 via Lower Third, ‘New Last Name’ sees the Liverpool-based band team up with both Gary and Ryan Jarman of The Cribs on production duty. According to a press release, ‘Throw’ sets the tone for the LP.
Speaking about the track, Courting frontman Sean Murphy O’Neill said: “We wanted to write a song with a plot twist, a song that could be described as ‘an epic’. Lamenting a past love, our protagonist returns to ‘the city’, and remembers, misremembers, and forgets just about everything that has happened beforehand. Drawing a blank, they pray to be wished away to a simpler time.”
‘Throw’ follows the LP’s lead single ‘Flex’. Speaking about the album’s title in a press release, Murphy O’Neill said: “It’s a theatrical play within an album. There’s a lot going on. It can be simply enjoyed as an album, but there are characters, acts, stage directions etc. The listeners can decide on the narrative themselves, but we want them to get lost in it.”
He continued: “I’ll admit that ‘New Last Name’ isn’t really a play. Whilst it is tied together by a narrative thread – it’s actually a collection of our most contained pop songs, and strangest experiments sat side by side.
“‘New Last Name’ is unrestrained and chaotic. At the same time, it is more focused and detail-oriented than anything we’ve done before. ‘New Last Name’ is a study in contradictions, and it’s the best damn play south of the north pole.”
Speaking about working with Courting on their upcoming second album, Gary Jarman of The Cribs said in a press release: “We had really enjoyed their debut LP ‘Guitar Music’ – the knowing title and the freedom with which they were prepared to sabotage their melodies with noise really spoke to us. But underneath all of that restless experimentalism and layers of chaos it was clear that there was some very sophisticated songwriting going on. So we were really excited to see how they approached their follow up LP.”
He continued: “The recording of a second album can be the most consequential time in an artists career – either the moment that their ability catches up with their enthusiasm and the real magic happens, or conversely the struggle to follow up on that first flush of inspiration (the dreaded sophomore slump). We knew as soon as we heard the demos that Courting were taking the step up to the next level.
“Anyway – we could go on and on about how this is one of those bands of an increasingly rare breed – a group of people who need each other, personally and creatively, and how that translates through the music…but that would all be distraction from the main point here – that Courting have really stepped up to the moment and made an incredible pop album (every song sounds like a hit to us!), without compromise and without fear.”
Courting have also announced a handful of 2024 UK and EU headlining tour dates. General ticket sale will commence on Friday, November 10 at 10am local time. Check out the full list of dates below.
Courting 2024 UK and EU tour dates are:
FEBRUARY
6 – Portland Arms, Cambridge
7 – CHALK, Brighton
8 – Facebar, Reading
9 – Dingwalls, London
10 – The Rainbow, Birmingham
12 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
13 – The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
14 – YES, Manchester
16 – King Tuts, Glasgow
17 – The Mash House, Edinburgh
18 – The Cluny, Newcastle
19 – The Leadmill, Sheffield
20 – The Joiners, Southampton
21 – Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich
22 – Exchange, Bristol
MARCH
27 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
28 – Botanique – Rotonde – Brussels, BE
APRIL
1 – Point Ephemere – Paris, FR
2 – L’Aeronef – Lille, FR
3 – L’Ubu – Rennes, FR
5 – Rock School Barbey – Bordeaux, FR
7 – Auditorio CCOP – Porto, PT
8 – Musicbox – Lisbon, PT
9 – Maravillas – Madrid, ES
10 – Heliogabal – Barcelona, ES
11 – Paloma – Nimes, FR
15 – Schokoladen – Berlin, DE
16 – Molotow – Hamburg, DE
17 – Bumann & Sohn – Cologne, DE
In a four-star review of their live show in Liverpool, NME shared: “By twisting guitar music with a post-modern flair, Courting continuously prove themselves to be one of the most innovative and elevated acts of the moment. Tonight, they deliver more than enough to suggest they deserve their acclaim.”
