Gang of Youths fans, for my money, must be among the most patient fans in music. Several times a year, they receive cryptic clues and furtive hints from the band, yet no album is forthcoming.
When your last album was as acclaimed as Go Farther in Lightness though, the continual appetite for its follow-up makes a lot of sense. Released in 2017, that album was an unstoppable force that year, debuting at number one on the ARIA Album Chart and going on to be nominated for 8 ARIA Music Awards, winning 4 (including Album of the Year and Best Group).
Between their first album, The Positions, and Go Farther in Lightness, there was only a two-year gap; the wait for their third album currently stands at double that time. I’m sure that fans are keeping happy with the presumption that, given the lengthy gap, the Sydney rockers next album will be quality.
Fans got hyped earlier this year when Gang of Youths dropped a surprising new single, ‘The Angel of 8th Ave.’, in June. Surely this meant their new album was just around the corner, we all thought.
Instead, they released a surprising but nonetheless strong three-track EP, Total Serene. Containing the aforementioned ‘The Angel of 8th Ave.’ alongside another new single ‘Unison’ and a cover of Elbow’s ‘Asleep In The Back’, it was plenty to tide fans over in the meantime.
And to their credit, the band confirmed when they dropped that EP that they have lots more new music coming in the near future. “G’day legends, this is ‘Total Serene’,” a handwritten note on their social media read. “Sorry it took so fucken long (sic). More to come though, so don’t worry.”
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Don’t worry indeed. They previously said it would “definitely” be out in 2020 so fans have been hurt before!
The band have been busy touring around the U.K., enjoying playing gigs for the first time in a long time. What that will do to their recording schedule, who knows.
Dave Le’aupepe and Tom Hobden (the third album will be the first to feature the multi-instrumentalist) spoke with Zane Lowe on his Apple Music show earlier in the year and discussed the possibility of a full album.
“It’s not done because the caveat is nothing with me – as Tom has found out in force over the last two years – nothing with me is ever done,” Dave revealed. “We’ve actually scrapped the album twice and restarted.” Tom jumped in at this point. “It’s ready when it’s ready. You know, I’m not going to rush it.”
During an appearance on Triple J, Dave also discussed a new album. Confirming that it would arrive “at some point in the next year or so”, he said it would sound “extremely different or could potentially polarise people.”
What we do know is that the forthcoming album will contain a quite peculiar guest spot: Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo will feature. The band also were discovered to be recording music with the Auckland Gospel Choir last year which could hint at a possible new sonic direction.
It would probably be unlikely for the band to go five years between albums, although they would entirely be understood if they did wait that long given the chaos of the last 18 months in the world. If I were a betting man, I’d say to expect it in the closing weeks of this year or at the earliest possible opportunity in 2022. But, then again, there’s a reason I’m a journalist and not a member of Gang of Youths.
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Check out ‘The Angel of 8th Ave.’ by Gang of Youths:
