Since their formation in 1983, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have garnered a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim for their boundary-pushing music. Over the years, the band has released iconic albums such as ‘Let Love In’, ‘Murder Ballads’, and ‘Skeleton Tree’, solidifying their status as one of the most influential bands in the alternative music scene.
After a four-year hiatus, the band is set to release their highly anticipated 18th studio album titled ‘Wild God’ on August 30th, providing the first harbinger of what’s to come with the LP’s title track which you can here now here.
Comprising ten new tracks, the band weave dance between convention and experimentation, taking left turns and detours that bolsters the rich imagery and emotion in Cave’s soul-stirring lyrics: the sound of a group invigorated by reconnection and taking flight. There are moments of nostalgia that touch on the Bad Seeds’ past, but these are fleeting and serve only to accentuate the band’s prolific and unrelenting drive forwards.
Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis and mixed by David Fridmann, Cave first set to work writing the album on New Year’s Day 2023. With sessions at Miraval in Provence and Soundtree in London, the Bad Seeds added their singular magic, with additional contributions from Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar).
The new LP is “deeply and joyously infectious,” says Cave. Though he insists there’s “never a masterplan” when creating music, Cave believes this record reflects a positive emotional state from himself and his collaborators. “I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me,” he explains. “It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it … There’s no fucking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.”” While Cave acknowledges the album is complicated, he describes it as a joyful listening experience overall. “Listening to this, I don’t know, it seems we’re happy,” he says.
‘Wild God’ will release on Bad Seed in partnership with Play It Again Sam on streaming, CD, and standard and limited edition vinyl on August 30, 2024. In the meantime, we’ll leave you with the aforementioned title track below:
