King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have announced their 26th studio album, ‘Flight b741’, set for release on 9th August 2024 via their newly established label, (p)doom records.
The upcoming album marks a departure from the band’s recent conceptual works, instead focusing on a more intimate and collaborative approach.
The first single from the album, ‘Le Risque’, has been released alongside an aviation-themed music video. The track notably features drummer Michael Cavanagh’s vocal debut. Video director Guy Tyzack commented on the production process: “We were super lucky to have been granted access to this amazing air hanger. The song was chosen because most of the Gizz guys had a singing part and I was excited for the mic to be passed around at a fun, never stopping pace. The day was super packed tight for what we wanted to get and we didn’t want to cut corners. Our crew was tight and the Gizz guys know how to put on a show. We were so tight for time that I didn’t pee all day.”
Frontman Stu Mackenzie described the album’s creation process, saying, “We wanted to make something that was primal, instinctual, more ‘from the gut’. Just people in a room, doing what feels right. We wanted to make something fun.” The band adopted a new approach to vocals, with Mackenzie explaining, “This is our most collaborative record – the collaboration was occurring in the room, it was free, and everyone was bringing in songs and ideas. And we wanted to have as many lead vocalists as we could, and to pass the mic, like, ‘This is my part, my idea, I’m gonna sing it and then I’m gonna pass the mic along to you and you can do your thing’. The whole record is built around that.”
Regarding the album’s themes, Mackenzie added, “Lyrically, it’s all pretty introspective – we’re having a lot of fun, but we’re often singing about some pretty heavy shit, and probably hitting on some deeper, more universal themes than usual. It’s not a sci-fi record, it’s about life and stuff.”
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have also announced a European Residency Tour for early summer 2025, following their ongoing 2024 tour which includes dates in South America, Europe, the UK, and the US.
The dates in full read:
MAY
18 Coliseu do Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal
19 Coliseu do Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal
20 Coliseu do Recreios, Lisbon, Portugal
23 Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain
24 Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain
25 Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain
29 Lukiškės Prison 2.0, Vilnius, Lithuania
30 Lukiškės Prison 2.0, Vilnius, Lithuania
31 Lukiškės Prison 2.0, Vilnius, Lithuania
JUNE
04 Lycabettus Theatre City of Athens, Athens, Greece
05 Lycabettus Theatre City of Athens, Athens, Greece
06 Lycabettus Theatre City of Athens, Athens, Greece
08 Ancient Theatre, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
09 Ancient Theatre, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
10 Ancient Theatre, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
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