Over three years removed from the release of their last album, English indie-rockers (and honorary Australians) The Wombats have revealed the details of their fifth record, Fix Yourself, Not the World.
Set for release in January of 2022, the upcoming record follows on from the arrival of 2018’s Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, and appears after the group’s respective members embarked upon musical careers outside the band. With frontman Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy kicked off Love Fame Tragedy in 2018, launching his debut album just last year, both Dan Haggis and Tord Øverland-Knudsen launched Sunship Balloon in 2020.
Recording the album remotely (with Murph in Los Angeles, Knudsen in Oslo, and Haggis in London), the group discussed plans via Zoom before sending files to producers Jacknife Lee (U2, The Killers), Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey), Paul Meaney (Twenty One Pilots, Nothing But Thieves) and Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag‘n’Bone Man) to craft the final product. “It was pure madness, to be honest,” explains Murph.
Having given fans a taste of the new record by way of “Method to The Madness” back in May, the new album announcement comes following the release of latest single, “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You”, which is described as “an infectious electro-pop ode to obsessive devotion”.
“I noticed that 2020 and 2021 put some serious strain on interpersonal relationships, it felt like people around me were really struggling,” Murph explains. “For me, ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You’ taps into all of that and asks the question… is it the circumstances putting undue stress on people? Or have the circumstances shed light on people’s incompatibility with one another?”
With the record set for release in January, the group have also unveiled Australian tour plans for 2022, announcing a run of dates which will see the group performing at venues across the country in June of 2022. Full details are available below.
The Wombats’ “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You” is out now, while Fix Yourself, Not the World will be released on January 7th, 2022, with pre-orders available now.
The Wombats Australian Tour 2022
Sunday, June 5th, 2022
HBF Stadium, Perth, WA
Tuesday, June 7th, 2022
City Hall, Hobart, TAS
Thursday, June 9th, 2022
Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Friday, June 10th, 2022
John Cain Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Saturday, June 11th, 2022
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
Wednesday, June 15th, 2022
UC Refectory, Canberra, ACT
Friday, June 17th, 2022
Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD
Tickets on sale from 9am, Monday, August 23rd
