Bloc Party have shared a new single, ‘Pigwig’ – you can listen to it below.
The buoyant song is the latest preview of the London band’s seventh studio album, ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’, which is released on September 11 via Contagious Music. It follows the tracks ‘Coming On Strong’, ‘Love Bombs’ and ‘Now We Can’t Be Friends’.
“‘Pigwig’ is about the moment of realising that you have been hit by a very big love, almost as if it’s against your will,” explained frontman Kele Okereke. “During our relationship, Pigwig was my pet name, after the Beatrix Potter character – the partner of Pigling Bland – an inside joke that meant a lot to us at the time.”
He continued: “Looking back, this song is probably one of the sweetest on the album as it recalls a memory of a romantic seaside trip at the most magical point of our relationship.”
“That was the moment I knew, I’d fallen for you,” he sings in the first verse. “Our summer of love/ Pigwig/ We take your car to the beach / I load up on treats as the motorway rolls.”
Okereke goes on to detail his partner’s obsession with “the coast in disarray“, adding: “He wants to see the concrete and grey/ Seems he’s happiest amongst the disrepair/ He’s in love with decay.”
The singer fondly reflects on every day with his loved one being “such a vibe“, telling the listener that it kept “getting better” over an energetic, indie-rock instrumental. He remembers: “He’s tugging on my arm like a heartstring/ He’s filling my days with wild imaginings.”
‘Pigwig’ arrives with a vintage, ’00s-looking official video, directed and designed by Laura Perrett, capturing Bloc Party performing live on stage.
The band have also added more dates to their UK record store tour for next month. See the full list of shows and find ticket details here. Later this year, Bloc Party will embark on a UK and European co-headline tour with Interpol. They recently opened for Muse at select gigs in North America.
Speaking to NME last spring, Okereke teased what fans could expect from the upcoming ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’, which was produced by the legendary Trevor Horn (Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes To Hollywood).
“The term that we were bandying around at the start was ‘disco heartbreak’,” he told us at the time. “That was the umbrella, but it’s kind of morphed into something else. We’re only six songs in, so it could go completely left. We’ll see.”
The frontman said: “It’s a record about heartbreak, really – that’s the only thing I can say about it at this stage. Hopefully it will be out next year, but we’ll see.”
As for his experience working with Horn, Okereke explained: “He’s made some of my favourite records of all time, so it’s quite interesting to hear what he has to say. He’s been making records for most of his life, for over 50 years, so he seems to know all the tricks. He seems to know everyone as well and have a story about everyone.”
Comprising 14 songs, the LP is structured like a memoir by Okereke and features some of his most personal songs yet. ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’ follows on from 2022’s ‘Alpha Games’.
Last year, Bloc Party accepted the Outstanding Song Collection Award at the Ivor Novellos, where the likes of U2, Brandon Flowers, Robbie Williams, Lola Young and Self Esteem were also honoured.
They then played the first-ever ‘icons’ slot at Reading & Leeds that summer, treating the audience to some indie classics and feel-good banter.
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