The Rolling Stones have released a new song, but don’t expect to find it on streaming. And don’t even expect to find it under their band name. The song, ‘Rough and Twisted,’ arrived today as an exclusive vinyl-only ‘white label’ release credited to a band called The Cockroaches.
The Cockroaches’ Instagram has been posting clips to their Story of the lucky fans who have hunted down the exclusive single, playing only snippets of the song. Yesterday, (10 April) the account posted something of a teaser trailer for ‘Rough and Twisted.’ A short video showed someone queueing up a vinyl and sitting back to enjoy the rousing, guitar-laden intro before cutting off.
Everything began on April 1, as posters with only “The Cockroaches” printed on a pink background and a mysterious QR code began to appear around London. The code lead to www.thecockroaches.com, which is the band’s site. The Stones played a secret gig at the El Mocambo club in Toronto in 1977 and used “The Cockroaches” as a pseudonym to draw away suspicion. So, fans made the connection between the Stones and the cryptic pink posters fairly quick.
The Cockroaches’ website depicts a bedroom, outfitted in 70s regalia: a mod patterned quilt, vintage concert tickets on a corkboard, a rotary phone, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and other iconic records resting on a shelf. There is also a poster, similar to the ones seen around London, for The Cockroaches. And on the wall, a clock which reads Saturday April 11, 2026 at 1:41 PM.
Many secrets were hidden in the site including links to mailing lists, the words “Mr. Charm” and a poster for the recently released ‘Live at the El Mocambo’ album embedded in the code. But fans also found a photo of the ‘Rough and Twisted’ vinyl, with GPS coordinates printed on its back, directing fans where to go to pick up this exclusive white-label release.
The Times confirmed the release of the single before April 11, saying they had heard the song. They reported that on it, Mick Jagger sings about driving “down a rough and twisted road all the way to Puerto Rico, where the tide ebbs and flows and you do feel that something sexual may be happening along the way.” The Times also reported that ‘Rough and Twisted’ is the lead single of a new album coming in July, the name of which has yet to be unveiled. It also reported that the upcoming release will not be the last one from the rock legends, and there are at least 10 songs written for a separate release, coming at some point after the July release.
The July release will be produced by Andrew Watt, who previously worked with the band on their 2024 release, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ Watts has also previously worked with Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osborn and Pearl Jam.
There is no word on a tour to support the unnamed July release. NME reported that a spokesperson for the band told The Times, “The Rolling Stones will play when they decide to, not before. There are no concerts planned.”
