Deacon Blue will release their new album ‘The Great Western Road’ in March 2025.
Marking 40 years since the group’s formation, the LP reflects “the journey the band has taken and remain honest to the age and experience they all share”, according to a press release.
Preceded by the lead single Late ’88, which is out on November 29, it sees Ricky Ross and guitarist Gregor Philp return to production duties, having last produced the band’s UK Top 5 charting LP ‘City Of Love’ (2020).We’re delighted to announce ‘The Great Western Road’, our brand-new studio album, will be released on 21st March 2025 and is available to pre-order here: https://t.co/2CyyLGKp8n pic.twitter.com/1Uz9SFUmiq
— Deacon Blue (@deaconbluemusic) November 26, 2024
The record was recorded by Matt Butler, who last worked with the band on Deacon Blue’s debut ‘Raintown’ (1987).
‘The Great Western Road’ is out March 21 and is available to pre-order from Amazon, HMV, Rough Trade, Townsend and more.
Tracklist: Deacon Blue – The Great Western Road
1. Great Western Road
2. Late ’88
3. People Come First
4. Wait On Me
5. Ashore
6. Underneath The Stars
7. Up Hope
8. Turn Up Your Radio
9. How We Remember It
10. Mid Century Modern
11. Curve Of The Line
12. If I Lived On My Own
Alongside the new music, the group will embark on two tours; alongside a limited run of five theatre shows in March/April, they’ll launch a 15-date arena tour on September 19, which includes their first Wembley Arena show since 1990.
Ross says of the dates: “I love the idea that a circus coming to town is a temporary existence, a little bit of magic suddenly appears in the middle of a town or a village and then it goes away. It’s very similar to what you do live.
“The live experience is so ephemeral, at the end of a show people lose all their inhibitions, and then it’s over. You have to be there. That’s what’s magical about it.”
He adds: “There will be two different shows, we’re curating a show that changes and evolves, pulling out little surprises every now and again. The theatres are more intimate and give us a chance to bring out one or two things that we wouldn’t do in the arenas.
They give us a chance to play songs from the new album and songs from other albums that we have never played before. And we have some amazing nights at the big shows in the arenas, we suit the show to the place we’re playing and our mantra is ‘we want people to have the best night of their lives’.
“Every night has got to be brilliant.”
Tickets for Deacon Blue’s live shows go on sale November 29 at 10am GMT and are available here. The full list of dates is below.
Deacon Blue – 2025 / Theatre
March 30 – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
March 31 – St George’s Hall, Bradford
April 2 – Beacon Theatre, Bristol
April 3 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
April 4 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
Deacon Blue – 2025 / Arena
September 19 – M+S Bank Arena, Liverpool
September 20 – Centre, Brighton
September 22 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
September 23 – FirstDirect Arena, Leeds
September 25 – International Centre, Bournemouth
September 26 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
September 28 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
September 29 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
October 1 – AO Arena, Manchester
October 3 – Wembley OVO Arena, London
October 5 – Connexin Live, Hull
October 6 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
October 8 – 3Arena, Dublin
October 10 – Hydro, Glasgow
October 11 – Hydro, Glasgow
