Fans of the band will already have been primed for this news, with the band announcing at the end of September that they would release a follow-up to 2014’s ‘The Take Off And Landing Of Everything’ on the 3^rd February 2017. The band teased that there would be news at the start of this week and true to their word we now have a title, artwork (which you can check out below), and a first single.

elbow's new album 'Little Fictions' will be released 3rd February 2017. pic.twitter.com/9hStDtQ7V8

— elbow (@Elbow) December 5, 2016

The album marks a different phase for the band both musically and in terms of personnel. It will be their first album with only four members, following drummer Richard Jupp’s split from the band earlier this year. Guy Garvey also returns to the band following his solo album, ‘Courting The Squall’ and the accompanying tour which took up his time in 2015. It is therefore appropriate that the sound of the album will be different from the band’s previous output. Speaking to Radio X about the change in personnel and its effect on the album, Garvey said, ‘It took us a long time to get accustomed to it. But then there was also really exciting elements of it. By mid-summer, it was making us quite bold in our decision making.’ He also told DJ Joe Whiley the record is ‘really quite chunky and beat-heavy. There’s a sparseness to the songs which perhaps we’re not known for. The themes are ranging as always, great big themes and concerns for the world at the same time as falling in love, looking forwards and backwards and all of the things.’ According to God Is In The TV, the album will see the band collaborate with The Hale Orchestra, the Halle Ancoats Community Choir, members of London Contemporary Voices and session drummer Alex Reeves.

As for the first single from the album, ‘Magnificent (She Says)’, Mark Potter described, via God Is In The TV, as ‘the song people have been waiting for us to write’, adding that the band decided to ‘let the song go where it needed to, not to back out of the big chorus because that was what it needed.’ There is no official video for the track yet, but you can enjoy the audio for ‘Magnificent (She Says)’ along with the new album artwork below:

The album will be accompanied by a month-long tour of the UK and Ireland that will kick off next February and will take in 11 cities. The full schedule can be found below:

26/2 – Olympia Theatre – Dublin

27/2 – Olympia Theatre – Dublin

1/3 – O2 Academy – Brimingham

2/3 – O2 Academy – Brimingham

4/3 – Eventim Apollo – London

5/3 – Eventim Apollo – London

6/3 – Eventim Apollo – London

8/3 – BIC – Bournemouth

9/3 – Pavilions – Plymouth

10/3 – Newport Centre – Newport

12/3 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh

13/3 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh

14/3 – Bridlington Spa – Bridlington

15/3 – Dome – Doncaster

16/3 – De Montfort Hall – Leicester

18/3 – O2 Apollo – Manchester

19/3 – O2 Apollo – Manchester

20/3 – O2 Apollo – Manchester