NEW ALBUM : Newton Faulkner // Octopus LP // UK & Ireland Tour & Instores

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OCTOPUS LP // COOKING VINYL // 19 SEPTEMBER

INSTORE SHOWS & SIGNINGS // SEPTEMBER

UK & IRELAND TOUR // OCTOBER & NOVEMBER

NEWTON FAULKNER has revealed details of his forthcoming eighth studio album Octopus, released via Cooking Vinyl on 19 September, a number of instores and signings throughout September, and a full UK and Irish tour for October and November.

The forthcoming album represents a deliberate pause and reset after years of relentless touring and recording. Rather than rushing back with familiar sounds, Faulkner used this creative five year sabbatical to rediscover what genuinely excites him as an artist – resulting in a collection that feels both deeply personal and surprisingly expansive.

The acclaimed singer songwriter initiated this new chapter in November last year when he cut his iconic dreadlocks during the finale of his tour at London Islington Assembly Hall. The haircut, which took place during an acoustic performance of the hit single Dream Catch Me, benefited Teenage Cancer Trust while symbolising a new direction for Faulkner, both musically and visually.

“I felt like my hair was tying me to the past,” he explains. “The guy that sang Dream Catch Me from under a large pile of hair is a distant memory and has been for a while.” He describes his new direction as ‘freedom from the past’, one that embraces authenticity in his creative choices, “This is about letting go; there is no part of this record that is trying to recreate anywhere I’ve been before, however well it might have gone. This is me; this is my head; this is what I love.”

Four singles have been released in the build up to the album – Alright, Alright, Alright which features vocal contributions from Ukrainian duo the Bloom Twins and represents a significant departure from his previous sound; Hunting Season which features Lissie and Los Bitchos (“They proceeded to smash it out of the park” says Faulkner); Gravitational, co-written with INK and further evidence of the willingness to embrace his full sonic palette, moving beyond the acoustic foundations for which he’s known; and What Took You So Long, a song initially conceived twenty years ago that now defines his creative rebirth and embodies the kind of fearless creativity that emerges when an artist stops seeking external validation.

“This track set the tone for me for the whole record,” he explains. “I remember playing it to an A&R team at least a decade ago and they looked at me like I was totally nuts, asked what was wrong with me, and the idea got shelved very quickly. After rerecording it recently with fresh ears, I remember thinking, ‘This! This is the kind of record I want to make!’. Now I don’t listen to anyone when it comes to making music that I love. In so many ways, I’m very glad I dusted it off. What took me so long?”

OCTOPUS | TRACK LISTING

Alright, Alright, Alright (feat. Bloom Twins)
What Took You So Long
Spirit Meets The Bone
Snakes & Ladders
Honest To God
You Make It Look So Easy
Don’t Make Me Beg
Dear Life
Better For Me
Gravitational
Tic Tac Toe
Hunting Season (feat. Lissie & Los Bitchos)
Better For You
Gratitude

Hunting Season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv85PRuWw0A

Gravitational: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnc5xq2Rf9M

What Took You So Long: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzJlSW0mJfM

Although only just turned 40, Faulkner’s impressive career spans nearly two decades, beginning with his breakthrough debut album Hand Built By Robots (2007) which reached #1 in the UK charts and achieved double Platinum status. His success continued with Rebuilt By Humans (2009) peaking at #3 and earning Gold certification, followed by his second #1 album Write It On Your Skin (2012). His subsequent albums were Studio Zoo (2013), Human Love (2015), Hit The Ground Running (2017) and Interference Of Light (2012) released amid the challenging conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As part of the new album campaign a series of limited edition CDs and vinyl are available to pre-order across Amazon, HMV, indie retailers and Newton’s store, each edition featuring exclusive one-of-a-kind artwork created especially for this project. Pre-order Octopus here: https://newtonf.lnk.to/OCTOPUSPR

To coincide with the album release, a number of instore performances and signings have been announced, along with a full UK and Ireland tour in the autumn. Full dates as follows:

SEPTEMBER

Thu 18 KINGSTON Banquet Records (8:30pm)

Fri 19 BIRMINGHAM HMV Records (5:00pm)

Sat 20 SOUTHAMPTON Vinilo Records (1:00pm)

Sat 20 BRIGHTON Resident Records (6:30pm)

Sun 21 NOTTINGHAM Rough Trade Records (6:00pm)

Mon 22 LEEDS Vinyl Whistle Records (1:00pm)

Mon 22 BURY Wax & Beans Records (5:00pm)

Tue 23 LIVERPOOL Jacaranda Records (6:00pm)

Wed 24 BRISTOL Rough Trade Records (6:30pm)

Thu 25 LONDON Rough Trade East Records (7:00pm)

Fri 26 MARLBOROUGH Sound Knowledge Records @ St Peters Church (7:30pm)