Blur name the new bands they are currently listening to
Ahead of the release of their new album The Ballad Of Darren, Blur have shouted out three new acts they are currently listening to.
“I like bands that are smart,” frontman Damon Albarn said about the kind of act he tries to search out. He continued: “Bands like Yard Act or Wu-Lu,” Albarn continued. Meanwhile, guitarist Graham Coxon told the Spanish magazine Mondo Sonoro: “I like the Jockstrap album.”
Jockstrap are one of the support acts for Blur at Wembley Stadium next month. Other acts appearing across the two shows include Self Esteem, Paul Weller and Sleaford Mods. The concerts take place on July 8th and 9th.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Albarn discussed the band’s lengthy hiatus since their last album 2015’s The Magic Whip. “I think it’s good that we’ve been on such a long hiatus with Blur because of the cyclical nature of pop music and fashion, guitar music is becoming fashionable again, and we can stand out in that game,” he remarked.
Blur recently previewed The Ballad of Darren with the new single ‘St. Charles Square’. Speaking about the track with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Albarn said: “Well, I was just really relieved it went this way in the studio. I mean, I kind of in my demo, it sort of alluded to it, because of the chords that hold in the chorus. It’s got that chug to it. But Graham really went with that. And yeah, it’s got an amazing atmosphere.”
He added: “Everybody’s playing really well on that thing. Do you know what the whole thing has really felt like, we’re sort of somewhere in 1992, something like that, ’92, ’93. We’re just sort of back. I don’t know. And when we go on stage, that’s we’re where we start off really… I’ve always kind of felt like it’s not just about singing about yourself. You’ve got to kind of bring where you’re singing it and writing it with you.”
The Ballad of Darren is set for release on July 21st. Listen to ‘St. Charles Square’ below.
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