Tribes announce first album in 10 years, ‘Rabbit Head’

Tribes have announced details of their third album, ‘Rabbit Head’, which will arrive later this year.

The band’s first album in 10 years will be released on August 18 via Downtown Music and features their comeback single ‘Hard Pill’, which was debuted on Steve Lamacq’s BBC6 Music show last month.

Tribes had gone on indefinite hiatus following the release of their 2013 album Wish To Scream, after which bassist Jim Cratchley became a part of Dinosaur Pile-Up. When the band members had a chance encounter at one of Dinosaur Pile-Up’s shows in 2020, they were reminded of what they had lost. “It was that feeling of, ‘fuck, these are the people I should be with”, said vocalist and guitarist Johnny Lloyd in a press release. 

Lloyd then suggested the band reunite for a London charity show in aid of Choose Love, a charity that provides humanitarian aid to refugees. The show’s venue was upgraded to O2 Forum Kentish Town due to popular demand. “It sold out in 10 seconds!” said Lloyd. “The crowd sounded like a football match, the whole place was on their feet, a huge amount of love was coming over and the passion of the crowd was so alarming.”

“We went from not speaking to each other for eight years to living next door to each other in the middle of nowhere!” added guitarist Dan White, who has handled production duties on the new record. “As the producer, I really want to understand what this means to everyone. What is the core of this band? This new chapter is about trying to capture that and use that to navigate this thing rather than ego or anything like that.”

“Dan producing has been really important, it’s let us work it out as a band without another person behind there. We got into the core of what we were doing way more and Dan guided the ship.” said Lloyd. Working more as a songwriting partnership than previously, a new route emerged, one that melded both the band’s way with an epic hook and more intricate melodic interplay.”

Lloyd said there was a lot more “sincerity” to the lyrics of Rabbit Head compared to their previous albums. “It’s a bit more open emotionally, subjects I wouldn’t have encroached upon in my early twenties, a bit more honesty.” 

TRIBES will be supporting DMAs at four UK gigs this month, including a date at OVO Arena Wembley on April 21.

Rabbit Head tracklist:

1. ‘Hard Pill’
2. ‘It’s All Borrowed’
3. ‘Catwalk’
4. ‘Dad I’m Not A Tough Guy’
5. ‘Earthling’
6. ‘Ways To Improve Your New Life’
7. ‘Medicine’
8. ‘Grandad’s On The Beer’
9. ‘Celebrate’
10. ‘-ism’
11. ‘Boy’
12. ‘Dressing Gown’
13. ‘Fade To Credits’
14. ‘Message From The Sponsor’