Pete Doherty shares serene new single ‘Calvados’ and announces intimate UK in-store shows
Pete Doherty has dropped a new song called ‘Calvados’ and announced a run of initiate in-store shows across the UK. Find out more below.
Shared today (February 26), the new single marks the latest preview of the singer-songwriter’s upcoming solo album ‘Felt Better Alive’. It follows on from the soul-bearing title track, which was released as the lead single.
With ‘Calvados’, Doherty takes a closer look at the world around him, taking inspiration from the natural world and produce in Normandy, where he lives.
It is described as a “hymn to craftsmanship and patience”, and sees the Libertines frontman lean into a tranquil, uplifting sound and providing a portrait of a farmer’s life in the lyrics.
“There’s an old cart horse with a wiry mane, Pulls a cart along a country lane/ Been rolling since before the break of day / tending the Orchard / stacking up the hay,” Doherty sings in the soft, acoustic intro. “The farmer sits holding the reins – guiding the cart through Normandy lanes/Slow and steady is the way/ The way it was, the way it is/ The way it will remain…”
Speaking about the inspiration for the track, Doherty said: “Where I live there’s a fellow in town, he’s got a shop that specialises in Calvados and ciders; the apple juice becomes cider becomes Calvados. He took me on a tour of all the old Calvados makers, in his van, place to place, staying with them. It’s that story.
“The line ‘Slow and steady is the way!/The way it was, the way it is…’, that’s how it is. These farms have been there for generations. You can’t hurry it, you wait for the apples to grow, you wait for the seasons to change, it’s not a laboratory. And at the end you get this incredible elixir. Fire water!”
Alongside the song, Doherty also invited fans to showcase their creativity by creating an official video for the track. After countless submissions were made globally, the animation made by Natalie Sidorenko / SadLip was chosen as the winner.
“I immediately pictured how the loving relationship between the farmer and his wife should be unified with their shared craft: the making of the ‘Calvados’,” Sidorenko said of the final design.
Check it out above.
‘Felt Better Alive’ is set to be released through Strap Originals on Friday May 16, and is available to pre-order here.
To celebrate the upcoming release, Doherty has now announced that he will perform and sign albums at five in-store events across the UK.
These will all take place on the week of release, and include stops in Leeds, Liverpool, Nantwich, Kingston and London. Tickets go on sale from 10am tomorrow (February 27) and will be available here. Find a list of dates below.
Pete Doherty’s UK in-store shows are:
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16 – Leeds, Crash (Brudenell Social Club)
17 – Liverpool, Jacaranda
19 – Nantwich, Applestump (Nantwich Civic Hall)
20 – Kingston, Banquet (Pryzm)
21 – London, Rough Trade East
Speaking to NME about the spirit of the record recently, Doherty explained: “There can be something uplifting about resignation, but at the same time you’re not just sat at home moping and singing these things to yourself.”
“You’re still going out there and singing them. I think there’s enough melancholy in this record to fill a good-sized jerry can,” he added. “The idea is to splash it on the audience and see if it ignites or not.”
As well as the in-store shows, Doherty is set to embark on an intimate ‘Anywhere In Albion’ UK tour next month, before a run of ‘Felt Better Alive In Europe’ dates. You can find remaining tickets for international shows here.
Doherty has announced a performance as part of this year’s Great Escape Festival in Brighton. He’s also teased that a Babyshambles reunion is “on the cards” for 2025.
As for The Libertines, the iconic group are due to play a series of outdoor UK shows this summer at London’s Gunnersbury Park, Dreamland Margate, and The Piece Hall in Halifax. Find any remaining tickets to those gigs here.
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
