UK rock-band Hope Of The States have announced their long-awaited return, marking their comeback after 18 years since the band disbanded in 2006. The cult indie- -rock band, originally from Chichester, confirmed their comeback with the release of a brand-new single titled ‘Footage / Steamtrain’, along with details of a UK tour this autumn and a remastered vinyl reissue of their 2004 debut album ‘The Lost Riots’.

The new single, ‘Footage / Steamtrain‘, is a two-part track that opens with a brooding vocal section and builds to a dramatic, string-laden crescendo. Lyrically, it evokes a sense of longing and frustration, repeating the line: “steamtrain up to heaven / a train that never came” at the end of the song as the track steadily escalates in intensity.

The band will return to the stage for a brief UK tour in October, with three live dates scheduled at Bristol’s Strange Brew (October 14), London’s Islington Assembly Hall (October 15) and Manchester’s Gorilla (October 16).  Frontman Sam Herlihy shared the news with fans on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Come and say hello and watch me tap dance / drink heavily.” Tickets go on sale tomorrow, July 16 at 10am and can be accessed here.

The song called Footage/Steamtrain is now released upon all yer damn streaming oilrigs.

We are also
playing three shows in October. Bristol 14th, London 15th Manchester 16th.

The tickets are on sale tomorrow at 10am.

Come and say hello and watch me tap dance/drink heavily.

— Sam Of Herlihy (@samuelherlihy) July 15, 2025

In an interview with NME, Herlihy spoke candidly about the band’s decision to reform and the process behind their new material: “We’re in a rehearsal room and have been smashing it together. “It’s all written and we’re going to go and record with Jolyon Thomas, who is the son of Ken Thomas who made our two records with. He was an absolute hero and I loved him dearly. He was an incredible, artistic, intimidating dude, but sadly he passed away last year. We first met Jolyon when we first met Ken when he was some snotty 16-year-old kid, and now he’s snotty whatever-year-old producer who makes records with U2”.

He added “If the songs weren’t good, then I wouldn’t do this,” he continued. “As fun as it would be to play the shows and give something back to fans would be lovely, it wouldn’t be enough to just play the old stuff. I genuinely believe that it’s as good if not better than the old stuff”.

Hope Of The States gained critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase in the early 2000s with their debut album ‘The Lost Riots’ (2004) and follow-up album ‘Left’ (2006). The band disbanded shortly after the release of their second album, saying their felt ‘cursed’ by bad luck following a difficult period marked by the tragic death of their guitarist Jimmi Lawrence.

Their 2025 return, nearly two decades later, signals a bold new chapter for the band – one that blends the weight of their past with a renewed creative energy.