Bleachers team up with Lana Del Rey on ‘Alma Mater’ and announce new self-titled album

Bleachers have shared their latest single ‘Alma Mater’ and have announced their new self-titled album ‘Bleachers’.

• READ MORE: Bleachers: “This album is about wanting to hold joy, and not understanding why you can’t”

‘Alma Mater’ is the second track to be released from Jack Antonoff and co.’s forthcoming album. It follows the lead single ‘Modern Girl‘, which was released earlier in September. The song was co-written by Lana Del Rey and features her singing “I’ll make it darker” towards the middle of the song.

The track is slower with melodic horns, the complete opposite of the previously released lead single which saw the band share another feel-good track with a bright Americana beat and catchy lyrics about “going out and shaking ass”.

Both tracks will be featured on the band’s fourth studio album ‘Bleachers’. A press release describes the LP as “Antonoff’s distinctly New Jersey take on the bizarre sensory contradictions of modern life, on his position in culture, and on the things he cares about. Sonically, it’s sad, it’s joyful, it’s music for driving on the highway to, for crying to and for dancing to at weddings.”

‘Bleachers’ is set for release on March 8. It also marks the bands first full length release under their new label home, Dirty Hit. Pre-order the album here.

Antonoff and Co. also announced a series of UK headlining shows slated for early 2024 in celebration of the album’s release. Fans who pre-order the LP before 4pm on Tuesday, November 21 from the Dirty Hit store will gain access to a ticket pre-sale. Pre-sale will commence on Wednesday, November 22 at 10am GMT. General ticket sale will begin on Friday, November 24 at 10am GMT. Visit here for tickets and here for more information.

Bleachers UK 2024 headlining tour dates are:

MARCH 2024
19 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
22 – Manchester, O2 Ritz
23 – Birmingham, O2 Institute
25 – Glasgow, SWG3 Galvanizers

‘Bleachers’ track list is: 

1. ‘I Am Right On Time’
2. ‘Modern Girl’
3. ‘Jesus Is Dead’
4. ‘Me Before You’
5. ‘Alma Mater’
6. ‘Tiny Moves’
7. ‘Isimo’
8. ‘Woke Up Today’
9. ‘Self Respect’
10. ‘Hey Joe’
11. ‘Call Me After Midnight’
12. ‘We’re Gonna Know Each Other Forever’
13. ‘Ordinary Heaven’
14. ‘The Waiter’

Back in August, Bleachers announced that they would be managed by Jamie Oborne and signed to the latter’s independent label Dirty Hit. The label is also home to The 1975, Rina Sawayama, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and more.

Antonoff has also teamed up with the manager and music mogul for a new joint venture, and the former has also signed a global agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group. The agreement sees him move from Sony to stay with his longtime publishing A&R Jennifer Knoepfle, who, as reported by Variety, joined UMPG last fall as executive vice president and co-head of A&R.

“Very proud to be working with Jamie and his entire team – we’ve known each other for some time now and our connection has deeply inspired me,” said Antonoff in a statement. “Have loved everything he has been creating from afar and love the perspective he has on what I do.”

In a four-star review of their 2021 LP ‘Take The Sadness Out Of Yesterday’, NME shared: “The record captures that sentiment in many forms – from the aftermath of Antonoff’s 2018 break-up with actor-director Lena Dunham, the feeling of wanting to break free from his native New Jersey, the intense longing to play with his band when pandemic restrictions made it impossible.”

They continued: “Bleachers’ past releases might have dealt in the dark moments of life – loss, death and grieving among them – but they did so in a way that felt like you were exorcising your own ghosts by singing along. There are glimpses of that here, but also moments that leave you ruminating on your own need for escape, to run away from – or towards – something. It might not leave you feeling as euphoric as what’s come before, but its lingering sensation is a testament to the power of Antonoff’s immersive songwriting.”

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