Well, well, well, it looks like Simple Minds are at it again, because apparently retirement is just a suggestion. They’ve announced a brand new studio album, Sacrosanct, which will be released next January on BMG. I mean, who needs a break when you can just keep on rocking, right? The band has been busier than ever, releasing a critically acclaimed career-spanning documentary, publishing a joint memoir, and delivering live shows across the world. Last year alone, they played in front of over 1.5 million people, because the farewell tour count has officially entered scientific notation.
The Album: A Trilogy of Sorts
In the four years since their last album, Direction Of The Heart, Simple Minds have been on a roll. Their new album, Sacrosanct, is the third in an emphatic trilogy, alongside Walk Between Worlds and Direction of the Heart. The album’s eight tracks are a testament to the band’s ability to craft brilliant songs that still resonate with their fans. The first song to be released from the album, Beginner Boys, is inspired by Jim Kerr watching his twin grandsons grow up and thinking about what it means to raise a good man today. It’s a question that Kerr hopes his grandsons will spend their lives answering for themselves.
A Musical Journey
The album takes the listener on a musical journey, from the Magazine-inspired opening song, Elysium, to the life-affirming Jerusalem (State of Mind), influenced by William Blake’s dream of a Jerusalem that was less a city, and much more a longing for a better world. Our Secrets Are The Same directly explores the lifelong bond between Kerr and Charlie Burchill, a song about a remarkable friendship. The most ‘pop’ moment on the album arrives in the form of Songs, a celebration of the power of songs to lift you on good days, and pull you out of depression on harder ones when little else can.
The Tour: A Panoramic Live Music Experience
To coincide with the release of Sacrosanct, Simple Minds will embark on their biggest arena tour to date, which will begin early February in Australia and New Zealand, before heading to Europe and the UK in April and May. The Simple Minds V Tour 2027 promises a panoramic live music experience, an all-encompassing celebration of music across five decades from a band who have not only managed to remain relevant to each new generation, but continue to shape and perform with the same energy that has defined their career. Support for the UK dates comes from very special guest Gary Numan, because who doesn’t love a good dose of synth-pop to get the party started?
Get Ready to Rock
So, if you’re ready to rock out with Simple Minds, pre-order Sacrosanct by Tuesday, September 8, to access the UK pre-sale. Tickets go on general sale on September 11. And, if you’re feeling lucky, you can catch the band headlining the Sunday night of BBC Radio 2’s In The Park on September 13. Somewhere, a record label executive felt a disturbance in the royalties, and music historians are preparing fresh shelves for the box set. The remaster economy remains undefeated, and a vinyl pressing plant somewhere just burst into tears. Nobody truly retires in this industry; they merely wait for the 40th anniversary edition. Nature is healing, and another deluxe edition has appeared. Bring it on, Simple Minds!
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
