After announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2015, only to return with a new album last year (2023), this will come as welcome news to Gaslight fans everywhere.

The new EP History Books – Short Stories will feature a Billie Eilish and then they will hit the road all across North America with Joyce Manor, Pinkshift and The Dirty Nil.

After a recent tease suggesting that they had been back in the studio following last year’s ‘History Books’, the Gaslight Anthem have just announced a brand-new EP.

The band will be releasing the four-track History Books – Short Stories this Friday, and it’ll feature two singles from that LP (the title-track and Positive Charge), plus a re-recorded version of 2008 fan-favourite Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts, and a surprise cover of Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish.

“I was driving my daughter to school and she played it for me on the way and I really took to the song,” explains frontman Brian Fallon of the latter. “Then one day we were talking ideas for a cover with our friends and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to do a heavier version of Ocean Eyes?’ I tried it out and everybody loved the idea.”

Check out a snippet below:

That’s not all, folks! We’re celebrating going on tour by releasing History Books – Short Stories. Out Friday + features two acoustic songs (“History Books” & “Positive Charge”), a re-recorded version of “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts,” and a cover of “Ocean Eyes” by @billieeilish. pic.twitter.com/5eurAcF5D4

— The Gaslight Anthem (@gaslightanthem) March 18, 2024

If that wasn’t enough, The Gaslight Anthem have also announced that they will be back on tour this summer in North America with a pretty stacked line-up.

The Gaslight Anthem was formed in 2006 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and has constantly delivered its brand of heartfelt folk-inspired punk rock since its debut album, Sink or Swim, in 2007. They gained a substantial global following and released four more studio records, the most recent being ‘Get Hurt’ in 2014. The following year, the band announced they would be going on hiatus as they focused on other projects, reuniting briefly in 2018 for a run of anniversary shows and then resuming the break.

In 2022, the band ended their hiatus and reformed, dropping their sixth studio album ‘History Books‘ the following year.

But as for the hear and now, you can catch them here at the following UK tour dates:

March

18 Glasgow O2 Academy
19 Edinburgh O2 Academy
21 Sheffield Academy
22 Manchester O2 Apollo
23 Wolverhampton Civic Hall
25 London Roundhouse
26 London Roundhouse
27 London Roundhouse
29 Dublin 3Olympia
30 Dublin 3Olympia

July

10 Nottingham Rock City
11 Cheltenham 2000trees Festival

Get your tickets now.

The New Jersey rock legends hit the huge MetLife Stadium as part of the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Philadelphia Flyers and the band’s local team, the New Jersey Devils.

Being local legends, the band’s song ‘Howl’ (taken from their fourth album Handwritten) has been used as the Devil’s Goal song. As such, they descended on the MetLife to play it live after every goal went in. They also broke up the intermission and the howls of Howl by performing a three-set performance of “45”, Great Expectations and The ’59 Sound.

@hipvideopromo Back in 2009, we first worked with @gaslightanthemband to champion the songs “Great Expectations”, “The ‘59 Sound”, and “Old White Lincoln”. Last Saturday, they had the incredible opportunity to perform those first two songs live in front of 70,000+ hockey fans at MetLife Stadium for the 2024 Devils-Flyers Stadium Series, as well as their hit “Howl” after every Devils goal! #stadiumseries #thegaslightanthem #newjerseydevils #metlifestadium ♬ original sound – HIP Video Promo

“To have your song played after every time the hometown team scores is such an incredible honour, and we can’t wait to play it live when our beloved Devils score in their Stadium Series game,” said frontman Brian Fallon before the game. “For a Jersey band, there’s no greater place to play than MetLife Stadium – we can’t wait!”

But the news gets better because the band took a hiatus in 2018, and as such, there has been no music or tours until now.

The Gaslight Anthem was formed in 2006 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and has constantly delivered its brand of heartfelt folk-inspired punk rock since its debut album, Sink or Swim, in 2007. They gained a substantial global following and released four more studio records, the most recent being ‘Get Hurt’ in 2014. The following year, the band announced they would be going on hiatus as they focused on other projects, reuniting briefly in 2018 for a run of anniversary shows and then resuming the break.

In 2022, the band ended their hiatus and reformed, dropping their sixth studio album ‘History Books‘ the following year.

Given the four-year-long hiatus, the new album and a UK tour will feel like a second coming to most fans.

And you can catch them here next month:

March 2024

6 Stockholm The Annex
7 Oslo Sentrum Scene
9 Copenhagen Gray Hall
11 Berlin Columbiahalle
12 Wiesbaden Schlachthof
14 Brussels Ancienne Belgique
15 Cologne Palladium
16 Utrecht Tivoli/Vredenburg Ronda
18 Glasgow O2 Academy
19 Edinburgh O2 Academy
21 Sheffield Academy
22 Manchester O2 Apollo
23 Wolverhampton Civic Hall
25 London Roundhouse
26 London Roundhouse
27 London Roundhouse
29 Dublin 3Olympia
30 Dublin 3Olympia

July 2024

10 Nottingham Rock City
11 Cheltenham 2000trees Festival

Get your tickets here now.

For any US fans, the band will be joined by two special guests on their North American tour; indie rock outfit Tigers Jaw, and indie/folk punk rocker Jeff Rosenstock. Brian Fallon, frontman of The Gaslight Anthem, stated on social media: “I am very pleased to announce to you all that The Gaslight Anthem is returning to full time status as a band.” Fallon went on to mention that the band had started putting together new music, saying: “We’re also beginning to write new songs for what will be our sixth LP. We’re looking forward to the future and seeing you all again. We want to thank you for staying with us.”

Hello everyone, Brian here. I hate to disappoint you, but I need to inform you that there will not be a 10th anniversary Handwritten Tour, or a documentary… However, I am very pleased to announce to you all that The Gaslight Anthem is returning to full time status as a band. pic.twitter.com/XtAZEDOWdw

— The Gaslight Anthem (@gaslightanthem) March 25, 2022

The Gaslight Anthem is comprised of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Brian Fallon, lead guitarist Alex Rosamilia, bassist Alex Levine and drummer Benny Horowitz. Formed in 2006, the band have presently released five full-length albums since their inception, commencing with 2007’s Sink or Swim.

In 2008, the band found success with their second album The ’59 Sound, which was voted the number 1 album of 2008 by eMusic, and received high praise from Pitchfork, who gave the album an 8.6 rating. The group’s success also led them to occupy an unusual but noteworthy position in the world of music journalism; Kerrang! magazine featured the band on their front page without ever having written about the group or any of their past releases. The group received airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music, an embarked on their first UK and European tour in November of 2008.

The Gaslight Anthem released three albums following this; 2010’s American Slang, 2012’s Handwritten and 2014’s Get Hurt. Following the band’s 2015 tour in support of Get Hurt, they went on an indefinite hiatus, reuniting briefly in 2018 for a run of shows to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of The ’59 Sound. At this time, frontman Brian Fallon made it clear that The Gaslight Anthem would not be working on new material, and following the show, the band’s hiatus resumed.

The Gaslight Anthem’s forthcoming UK dates can be viewed down below.

18/08/2022- OVO Wembley Arena- London
19/08- O2 Apollo- Manchester
20/08- O2 Academy- Edinburgh
21/08- O2 Academy- Birmingham
23/08- National Stadium- Dublin
24/08- The Telegraph Building- Belfast

Photo Credit: Kelsey Ayres/Press Release