Set to hit shelves on October 17, the London five-piece follows on from their heavily-acclaimed debut ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ which led the band to two BRIT Awards.

The band hit the studio alongside Grammy Award-winning producer Markus Dravs for the new album. Dravs has previously worked with the likes of Wolf Alice, Florence + The Machine, and Bjork. ‘From The Pyre’ is available to pre-order now from here.

The announcement of the bands second album coincides with the release of the lead single, ‘This Is The Killer Speaking’. The sound is reminiscent of ‘Prelude To Ecstasy’ but with a more mature and darker feel to it. Check out the new single above.

Explaining the inspirations and motivations behind the album, the London band said: “This record is a collection of stories, and the concept of album-as-mythos binds them, ‘The Pyre’ itself is an allegorical place in which these tales originate, a place of violence and destruction but also regeneration, passion and light.

“The songs are character-driven but still deeply personal, a commonplace life event pushed to pathological extreme. Being ghosted becomes a Western dance with a killer, and heartbreak laughs into the face of the apocalypse.”

They continued, as they described the darker feel behind this album: “Lyrics invoke rifles, scythes, sailors, saints, cowboys, floods, Mother Earth, Joan of Arc, and blazing infernos. We found this kind of evocative imagery to be the most honest and truthful way to discuss our experiences felt, giving each the emotional weight it deserves.

“This record feels a little darker, more raw and more earthy; it takes place looking out at a sublime landscape rather than seated at an opulent table. It also feels metatextual and cheeky in places, like a knowing look reflected back at ourselves.”

‘From The Pyre’ Tracklist:

‘Agnus Dei’

‘Count The Ways’

‘Second Best’

‘This Is The Killer Speaking’

‘Rifle’

Woman Is A Tree’

‘Hold Your Anger’

‘Sail Away’

‘The Scythe’

‘Inferno’

Earlier this month, The Last Dinner Party joined Nile Rodgers in curating a special exhibition for the David Bowie Centre.

Featuring in the ‘Nothing Matters’ rockers exhibition will include exclusive photos by Mick Rock of Bowie in the studio, his Electronic Music Studios synthesiser user manual, writings from the 1976 ‘Station To Station’ tour, and Bowie’s handwritten lyrics for ‘Win’.

The centre will open it’s doors on September 13 with entry being free, but ticketed. You will be able to purchase tickets on a later date from here.

Statement regarding The Engine Shed searching on condition of entry at The Last Dinner Party event on the 28th of September pic.twitter.com/odaXrtOvwm

— The Engine Shed (@engineshed) September 29, 2024

Although the concert was ultimately cancelled last minute due to an unprecedented illness of one of the band members, many fans awaiting The Last Dinner Party’s arrival on stage took to social media to voice their outrage over their experience with security.

I rocked up there tonight at 8.45 on my own, no queue, I got asked how long I had liked them for, and to name my favourite song. I thought it was a bit strange and the first time I’ve ever felt like I’m on mastermind to get into a gig. Now I’ve read this I understand why now

— Paul (@Hazy_Rhythms) September 28, 2024

Many male gig-goers reported being taken away from queuing fans to be searched, along with being asked condescending questions relating to the indie-rock band and their discography.  

same here, i queued for 7 hours to get to barrier as i am 4′ 11′, got whisked away, searched, asked condescending questions, didn’t get to barrier, best not, show cancelled

— Kam Zaki (@kamgigs) September 28, 2024

Attending a concert alone can be a very daunting experience for many individuals and it is incredibly disheartening to feel alienated from a gig you have paid to see and are therefore, meant to enjoy.

The Engine Shed issued a statement emphasising the conduct of their security on the night of The Last Dinner Party’s show “fell far short” of their entry policy. They have prided themselves on treating all attendees equally and have stressed the importance of an investigation into their security’s behaviour. Upon their preliminary investigation, they highlighted security were notified of fan conduct at previous The Last Dinner Party gigs which led to the venue management team making a swift “ad-hoc change” to their entry policy.

The Engine Shed have concluded that more staff training, and a further investigation will take place, and have advised attendees to report their experiences and recommendations to their management team.

The now-cancelled Lincoln show was one of 22 sold-out dates of The Last Dinner Party’s UK tour, which began earlier this month, where the band planned to dazzle fans with an edgy and theatrical performance of their Mercury Prize nominated debut, Prelude to Ecstasy.

Due to illness within the band, fans are to be issued refunds for the cancelled shows in Lincoln and Cardiff, along with the newly cancelled shows in Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol and Southampton.

The indie-rock band have since responded to the incident via X, claiming they were not contacted by venue staff about their changes to entry policy ahead of the show in Lincoln, insisting their shows are safe spaces.

pic.twitter.com/r3apoRZHK3 — The Last Dinner Party (@lastdinnerparty) September 30, 2024

It is evident The Last Dinner Party adore and deeply care for their fans. When Lizzie Mayland of The Last Dinner Party spoke to the University of Edinburgh’s The Student, Mayland stated their gigs were intended to be “a bit of a safe space for especially for women, non-binary people, [and] queer people to come and be the loudest, the most enormous version of themselves, and know that we’re going to be doing it too.”

For a band that have faced immense scrutiny since their ascendence to the industry, their ability to push musical boundaries, flaunt their artistry whilst championing diversity and inclusivity makes this incident at Lincoln’s Engine Shed an even bigger shame for fans.

Abigail Morris, Georgia Davies, Lizzie Mayland, Aurora Nishevci, and Emily Roberts, the driving forces behind the hit single ‘Nothing Matters,’ are adamant that their presence in the music industry should not be viewed as an anomaly but rather as part of a continuum of powerful female and non-binary artists.

Morris highlighted the irony of their situation, remarking, “The revealing thing is… people seem to be implying we’re doing something really new and groundbreaking just by being, you know, five non-male musicians when in fact, we come from a very long line and community of very powerful female and non-binary artists.”

“It’s just a shame that culture at large seems to be constantly blinkered to like, the fact that like, every few years, there’s a new study being like Breaking News! Misogyny in music! and it’s like yes, we know,” Morris added.

Georgia Davies echoed the sentiment, emphasising the need for structural changes in the music industry to facilitate the advancement of female and non-binary bands, stating, “In order for female and non-binary bands to progress up into that status, they need to be given the highest slots on festival lineups. To be given the chance to perform to a big crowd because without giving those slots to people who deserve it, we’re just going to keep seeing the same kind of legacy historically,”

In a subsequent part of the interview, the band was dubbed “the new queens of feminist pop” by the interviewer, prompting a discussion among the band members about the highly gendered language surrounding their success. They admitted it’s a “huge” burden to carry.

The Last Dinner Party, alongside fellow female musicians like Wet Leg and Clairo, has faced the recurring criticism of being dubbed “industry plants,” an accusation disproportionately directed at female musicians in contrast to their male counterparts within the music industry.

In a recent interview with Variety, Abigail Morris responded to the accusations by highlighting the organic connections the band had within the London music scene, explaining, “We all had friends who were in bands in that scene in London – I feel like that’s the only connections we had…. it is kind of old-fashioned, which is why I think people were like, ‘Something must be going on!’ No, that’s literally how the music industry works.”

The Last Dinner Party’s steadfast refusal to conform to industry stereotypes and their unwavering commitment to authenticity underscore the ongoing struggle for gender equality within the music industry. As they embark on their journey following the release of their debut album ‘Prelude To Ecstasy,’ The Last Dinner Party stands ready to amplify their message through an upcoming tour across the UK and Ireland later this year.

Recently a post on their social media they had this to say, “Recorded amidst the enchanting echoes of church studios in crouch hill in january ‘23 is now yours to love, cherish and worship. None of this we could have achieved without our incredible producer @james_ellis_ford, engineer Jimmy Robertson, the incredibly talented musicians @elysiancollectivemusic who joined us, our beloved @calmcintyrestudio who shot the cover art, our generous and charming @islandrecordsuk and our tour de force of a manager @tararichardson75. Thank you, thank you. We love you.”

Nevertheless, the London-based quintet continues to face persistent backlash as “industry plants.” This label is commonly used to describe musicians who portray themselves as self-sufficient and self-made, yet covertly benefit from backing and financial advantages within the music industry.

In response to the ‘industry plant’ comments yet again, Morris had this to say, “We all had friends who were in bands in that scene in London – I feel like that’s the only connections we had. Like, ‘Oh, my mate’s in a band, so he can suggest us to play at this pub or we could open for this guy’s band that we know.”

The Last Dinner Party was formed when Morris, Davies, and Mayland met at King’s College, while Roberts and Nishevci attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. They were brought together by London’s vibrant music scene, each bringing their unique backgrounds. Morris and Mayland had a background in choir, Roberts was a trained jazz guitarist, Nishevci was a composer, and Davies had experience in a garage-rock band. However, just as they began rehearsing as a group, COVID-19 hit. Despite the frustration, Mayland describes it as a “good gestation period” that allowed them to truly find their identity as a group before making their debut.

Now that their long-awaited album has arrived, the band are also riding the more recent high of their performance at Camden’s Roundhouse on Thursday evening, the first of many career-defining shows set to take place this year.

Listen to the full album below Prelude to Ecstasy.