With the rumblings of a (second) twee revival, it was time for Belle And Sebastian to make its return. Thankfully, the band inadvertently timed the release of its next LP well; it has announced that a new album will be coming out this year. Belle And Sebastian’s first record in seven years, A Bit Of Previous, arrives on May 6 via Matador.
The album is described as having “big, occasionally delirious pop moments” and it is the band’s first LP recorded in its hometown of Glasgow since its seminal 1999 record, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant.
As a first look at what’s to come, Belle And Sebastian released lead single, “Unnecessary Drama,” and it’s a lively, inviting tune.
“The song is about a young person experimenting in being a human again after a forced hiatus”, says bandleader Stuart Murdoch in a press statement. “The person is weighing up whether or not it’s worth the mess! Still, you dip your toe in and it becomes delicious, and you get too much of it. Between trouble and nothing, we still choose the trouble.”
The music video features the band participating in a study, involving tasks like playing Jenga, trust exercises, and matching the theme of enjoying the fervor of life without letting the pains of life get to you.
Belle And Sebastian also announced a world tour in support of the new record, beginning in May. The band will be in great company with Japanese Breakfast, Los Bitchos, Divino Niño, Tennis, and Thee Sacred Souls as openers for the first leg of the tour. Support for the 2023 dates has not been announced yet. All dates are listed below.
Belle And Sebastian 2022-2023 tour
May 24, 2022: Rabbit Rabbit, Asheville *
May 25, 2022: TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, Indianapolis *
May 26, 2022: The Riviera Theatre, Chicago *
May 27, 2022: Palace Theatre, Minneapolis *
May 28, 2022: The Admiral, Omaha *
May 31, 2022: Paramount Theatre, Seattle +
June 1, 2022: Roseland Theater, Portland +
June 3, 2022: Greek Theatre, Berkeley %
June 4, 2022: Greek Theatre, LA %
June 5, 2022: Pappy and Harriet’s, Pioneertown +
June 7, 2022: The Van Buren, Phoenix +
June 8, 2022: The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Company +
June 10, 2022: The Criterion, Oklahoma City +
June 11, 2022: Stubb’s Waller Creek, Austin #
June 13, 2022: Ryman Auditorium, Nashville #
June 14, 2022: Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh ^
June 15, 2022: Wolf Trap, Vienna ^
June 16, 2022: SummerStage, Central Park, NY #
June 17, 2022: Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia #
June 18, 2022: Roadrunner, Boston #
July 15, 2022: Bristol, UK Lloyds Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside
July 16 , 2022: Stirling, UK Cardross Estate, Doune The Rabbit Hole
November 13, 2022: Cardiff, UK Great Hall Student’s Union
November 14, 2022: London, UK The Roundhouse
November 15, 2022: London, UK The Roundhouse
November 17, 2022: Sheffield, UK O2 Academy Sheffield
November 18, 2022: Liverpool, UK Olympia
November 19, 2022: Hull, UK Asylum, Hull University Union
November 21, 2022: Aberdeen, UK Beach Ballroom
November 23, 2022: Edinburgh, UK Usher Hall
November 24, 2022: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK O2 City Hall, Newcastle
November 25, 2022: Manchester, UK Manchester Academy
November 27, 2022: Cambridge, UK Corn Exchange
November 28, 2022: Birmingham, UK O2 Academy Birmingham
November 29, 2022: Southampton, UK O2 Guildhall Southampton
November 30, 2022: Brighton, UK Brighton Dome
January 10, 2023: France, Paris, Casino de Paris
January 11, 2023: Holland, Utrecht, Tivoli Grote Zaal
January 14, 2023: Germany, Hamburg, Laeiszhalle
January 16, 2023: Sweden, Gothenburg Tradgarn
January 17, 2023: Sweden, Stockholm Filadelfia
January 18, 2023: Norway, Oslo Sentrum Scene
January 19, 2023: Denmark, Copenhagen Vega
January 21, 2023: Germany, Berlin Tempodrom
January 22, 2023: Germany, Munich Muffathalle Sweden, Gothenburg Tradgarn
January 17, 2023: Sweden, Stockholm Filadelfia
January 18, 2023: Norway, Oslo Sentrum Scene
January 19, 2023:Denmark, Copenhagen Vega
January 21, 2023: Germany, Berlin Tempodrom
January 22, 2023: Germany, Munich Muffathalle
January 23, 2023: Switzerland, Zurich X-tra Limmathaus
January 25, 2023: France, Clermont-Ferrand, Co-op de Mai
January 26, 2023: Italy, Milan Fabrique
* with Divino Niño
+ with Thee Sacred Souls
% with Tennis and Thee Sacred Souls
# with Los Bitchos
+ with Japanese Breakfast and Los Bitchos