The new album – the band’s fifth – is defined by calculated aggression and self-lacerating lyrics. Its startling bonuses include playful synth work and the appearance of a giant from hip-hop in El-P- from Run the Jewels. With its title juxtaposing absurdity and seriousness, this is Death Hilarious.

The album follows their first ever Australian tour and Meredith Festival appearance in December 2024, and features guest appearance. Hear first single Stitches here.

The Purple Bird finds Bonnie “Prince” Billy working with a “producer” for only the second time in his illustrious career. His relationship with David ‘Ferg’ Ferguson dates back more than two decades to the sessions for the Johnny Cash album American III with Rick Rubin, where Ferg served as engineer and where Cash performed a cover of the BPB track I See A Darkness. The pair have worked together on numerous projects over the years but none as deeply as The Purple Bird (which takes its name from a drawing Ferg made as a second-grader). He is credited as a co-writer on 7 of the 12 tracks. Oldham says of the relationship:

“I’ve made records with friends, collaborative records like The Brave and the Bold with Tortoise; the two Superwolf records with Matt Sweeney; The Wonder Show of the World with Emmett Kelly; Get on Jolly with Mick Turner.  These collaborators get top billing because that’s how this business works.  This record, The Purple Bird, is similarly a collaborative effort but the collaborator is the producer, David Ferguson.  He’s a giant of a man, an epic musical force, a dear friend.  Our work together on this record was the result of years of sharing hard times and great joys, songs and stories, of making music together and apart.  There’s a lot of trust in this record on Ferg’s part and on mine, and the trust was hard- and well-earned.  When I listen to the record, oftentimes I can’t help but laugh in wonder that life allowed me to participate in such a thing.”

The Purple Bird is available now via No Quarter / Rocket distribution. Watch/hear first single London May here

“We haven’t done this in years… time flies, surprisingly it’s been some years since I’ve done any solo shows, so lo and behold… that is what I’m going to do in April/May.”  – Ed Kuepper.

The tour comes off the back of a new album After the Flood, recorded with drummer Jim White in May 2023 and released this March 21 via Remote Control. After The Flood features eight Kuepper originals digging on the material from his past; The Saints, Laughing Clowns and his own lengthy solo career. The first single for Ed and Jim is The Crying Dance. A Laughing Clowns track originally, released in 1980 on the 7” ep Sometimes, The Fire Dance. Hear it here. Pre-order the album here.

Don’t miss Ed Kuepper. Solo. At last!

The Saints ’73-’78 celebrate 50 years since their first-ever shows this November with a month-long tour taking in New Zealand, USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden and Germany.

In their original guise The Saints only ever played the UK, two shows in the Netherlands and a single French show outside Australia, while their home country performances were reduced to just Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Australia has since been humbled by the explosion that is The Saints ’73-’78 while New Zealand, the USA, Canada, Sweden and Berlin (Germany) bear witness to the joy for the very first time.

Australian band Chimers join The Saints ’73-’78 for all US and UK appearances

All UK shows on-sale now
US and Canada are on-sale 9AM PST/12 noon EST Friday 21st February
Sweden / Germany on-sale 11am CET Friday 21st February
New Zealand on-sale 9am Wednesday 26th February

Tickets for all shows via feelpresents.com