Today, Coldplay unveiled their eighth studio album, Everyday Life — however, don’t expect to witness the album live anytime soon, the band have put a pause on touring for environmental reasons.
“We’re taking time over the next year or two, to work out how our tour can not only be sustainable [but] how can it be actively beneficial,” frontman Chris Martin told BBC. “Our next tour will be the best possible version of a tour like that, environmentally. We would be disappointed if it’s not carbon neutral.
“The hardest thing is the flying side of things. But, for example, our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it largely solar-powered. We’ve done a lot of big tours at this point. How do we turn it around so it’s no so much taking as giving?”
The band haven’t gone cold turkey on touring just yet. Tonight, they’ll celebrate the release of Everyday Life with two performances in Amman, Jordan. When asked about the band’s decision to perform in Jordan of all places, Martin explained “We wanted to pick somewhere in the middle of the world where we normally don’t get to play.”
The band will also perform an environmental benefit show on November 25th at London’s Natural History Museum. Listen to Coldplay’s new album, Everyday Life below.
Listen: Everyday Life – Coldplay
These past few months has seen heightened discourse between musicians and the environmental impact of touring. In October, a handful of musicians joined forces on a signed open letter addressing accusations of hypocrisy against artists who have been vocal amid the climate crisis.
“Dear journalists who have called us hypocrites, you’re right. We live high carbon lives and the industries that we are part of have huge carbon footprints. Like you — and everyone else — we are stuck in this fossil-fuel economy and without systemic change, our lifestyles will keep on causing climate and ecological harm,” the letter reads.
Love Classic Rock?
Get the latest Classic Rock news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“There is, however, a more urgent story that our profiles and platforms can draw attention to. Life on earth is dying. We are living in the midst of the 6th mass extinction.
You can read the letter in its entirety here.
