Ward Thomas have announced that they will return with their fifth studio album – Music In The Madness – on 10th March 2023.
Following the release of their album Invitation – Ward Thomas are set to return with their new album Music In The Madness – on March 10th, 2023. The first glimpse of the record is offered on ‘Justice & Mercy’ – listen here. The track follows Nashville’s tradition of interesting storytelling – begun on a Nashville trip, the creepy country corker is a fictional tale was inspired by the pair’s shared love of true crime podcasts.
“It’s a fun story song about a wrong ’un who ruins lives on his travels and meets a sticky end,” says Lizzy. “I imagine it set in the ‘20s Western States, although we partly based the psychopath on Putin. There are two outcomes when you listen to true crime – one merciful, one justice-driven. Either the perpetrator has to die or his soul can be saved. There were some deep discussions in that writing session. If one of us was murdered, would the other be team justice or team mercy?”
Music In The Madness is both a harmony-soaked balm for shattered souls and an uplifting reminder of what really matters. Love, family, unity and the healing power of music are recurrent themes on an album begun as war broke out in Ukraine and the world went into a post-Covid tailspin.
“In Ukraine in particular we witnessed these wonderful, moving moments of music in the madness,” says Catherine. “Soldiers singing the national anthem and getting married on the front line. The viral video of the girl in a bomb shelter singing Let It Go. In times of crisis, music matters even more. That’s what we set out to celebrate.”
An aforementioned trip to Nashville in February – the Hampshire sisters’ second home since they recorded their debut in the city while still at school – nailed the spirit of the album. The duo then returned to their homes in Hampshire with half a dozen songs captured mostly as voice memos on their mobiles. In a first for the duo, the songs were recorded with their long standing live band – at the suggestion of producer Ed Harcourt, which brought their live chemistry into the studio. The duo then returned to Nashville to create the remainder of the tracks, including ‘Love Does.’
The duo are set to hit the road in March & April next year – tickets go on sale on 18th November here.
March 2023
Thu 30th Glasgow, Old Fruit Market
Fri 31st Gateshead, Sage
April 2023
Sun 2nd Liverpool, Olympia
Tue 4th York, Barbican
Wed 5th Manchester, Albert Hall
Thu 6th Birmingham, Town Hall
Mon 10th Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Tue 11th Cardiff, St. David’s
Thu 13th Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
Fri 14th London, Barbican
Sat 15th Southampton, Central Hall
Mon 17th Reading, Hexagon
Tu 18th Bath, Forum
