Black Country, New Road have dropped “Happy Birthday,” the latest single off their forthcoming album, Forever Howlong, available April 4th via Ninja Tune. With the new track, the band have also announced details of a new intimate run of UK live shows to take place in April 2025, in which they will perform the album in full to celebrate it’s release. Forever Howlong is the band’s first studio release since their 2022 release Ants From Up There.

The long-awaited new record was produced by James Ford (Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blur) and sees Black Country, New Road settled into a new shape in which vocal duties – and most of the song writing – is split between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw. The album was announced alongside the single “Besties.” “When I wrote “Happy Birthday” I had Georgia’s song “Besties” in my head while I was writing it,” says Hyde. “Therefore, the structure of it is heavily influenced by it.”

“Happy Birthday” is paired with a new stop-motion music video, which follows the journey of two birds in the woods helping one another to escape from hunters. The animation is directed by Lesley-Anne Rose who produces, directs and writes short stop-motion films and short films for television broadcast, gallery exhibitions, and events. She has created content for BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Channel 4, and the BFI, as well music videos for artists like Kathryn Williams and Richard Dawson.

The band will take to the road again in 2025 in support of the album. Dates will start with the aforementioned UK tour in April, ahead of the band’s US dates, as well as numerous festival appearances.

Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Ninja Tune

Digital / CD Tracklisting:

1. Besties
2. The Big Spin
3. Socks
4. Salem Sisters
5. Two Horses
6. Mary
7. Happy Birthday
8. For the Cold Country
9. Nancy Tries to Take the Night
10. Forever Howlong
11. Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)

Standard Vinyl (+ Indie / White Label) Tracklisting:

SIDE A

Besties
The Big Spin
Socks

SIDE B

Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary

SIDE C

Happy Birthday
For the Cold Country

SIDE D

Nancy Tries to Take the Night
Forever Howlong
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)

Collector’s Edition Vinyl Tracklisting:

SIDE A

Besties
The Big Spin
Socks

SIDE B

Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary

SIDE C

Happy Birthday
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
Forever

SIDE D

Forever Howlong
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
For the Cold Country

Collector’s Edition Cassette Tracklisting:

Side A

Besties
The Big Spin
Socks
Salem Sisters
Two Horses
Mary

Side B

Happy Birthday
Goodbye (Don’t Tell Me)
Forever Howlong
Nancy Tries to Take the Night
For the Cold Country

Black Country, New Road 2025 Tour Dates

Mon 07 Apr – Plaza – Stockport, UK
Tue 08 Apr – Queens Hall – Edinburgh, UK
Wed 09 Apr – Leeds Project House – Leeds, UK
Fri 11 Apr – Town Hall – Birmingham, UK
Sat 12 Apr – Engine Rooms – Southampton, UK
Sun 13 Apr – Epic Studios – Norwich, UK
Sat 3 May – Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX – Ciudad De México, MX
Tue 13 May – Salt Shed – Chicago, IL, US ☼ ☆
Wed 14 May – Slowdown – Omaha, NE, US ☼
Fri 16 May – Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO, US ♢
Sat 17 May – Kilby Block Party – Salt Lake City, UT, US
Mon 19 May – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA, US ☆
Tue 20 May – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA, US ☆
Thu 22 May – The Warfield – San Francisco, CA, US ☆
Fri 23 May – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US ☆
Sat 24 May – Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US ☆
Fri 23 May – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR, US
Sat 24 May – Moore Theater – Seattle, WA, US
Sat 07 Jun – Primavera Sound Festival – Barcelona, ES
Wed 13-Sat 16 Aug – Paredes de Coura Festival – Porto, PT
Thu 28 Aug – End of the Road 2025 – Dorset, UK
Thu 11 Sep – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
Fri 12 Sep – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
Sat 13 Sep – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK
Mon 15 Sep – Olympia – Dublin, IE
Tue 16 Sep – Olympia – Dublin, IE
Thu 18 Sep – Barrowlands – Glasgow, UK
Sat 20 Sep – Sage – Gateshead, UK
Mon 22 Sep – Beacon – Bristol, UK
Wed 24 Sep – Corn Exchange – Cambridge, UK
Thu 09 Oct – Casino de Paris – Paris, FR
Fri 10 Oct – Stereolux – Nantes, FR
Sun 12 Oct – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
Mon 13 Oct – Paradiso – Amsterdam, NL
Tue 14 Oct – Gloria – Cologne, DE
Wed 15 Oct – Astra – Berlin, DE
Fri 17 Oct – Vega – Copenhagen, DK
Sat 18 Oct – Fallan – Stockholm, SE
Sun 19 Oct – Sentrum Scene – Oslo, NO
Tue 21 Oct – Mojo – Hamburg, DE
Wed 22 Oct – Roxy – Prague, CZ
Thu 23 Oct – Les Docks – Lausanne, CH
Sat 25 Oct – Magazzini Generali – Milan, IT
Sun 26 Oct – Epicerie Moderne – Lyon, FR
Tue 28 Oct – AB – Brussels, BE
Thu 30 Oct – The Dome – Brighton, UK
Fri 31 Oct – O2 Academy Brixton – London, UK

☼ support from Friko
☆ support from Nora Brown with Stephanie Coleman
♢ supporting St. Vincent

Pre-order Together Howlong by Black Country, New Road HERE