Courting have shared a new single titled “Emily G”. The track follows the band’s announcement of their new album New Last Name, which was recorded in collaboration with Gary and Ryan Jarman of The Cribs. The LP drops on January 26 via Lower Third. “Emily G,” follows the band’s recent single “Throw”.

“Emily G” is based on a play on the psychological hoax that began in the 1980’s with Ever Dream This Man?, Courting created a replica poster replaced the image of ‘The Man’ with the AI generated image of Emily G (the single’s artwork). Fans were led to the posters using co-ordinates and upon scanning the QR code – they were able to hear a teaser of the upcoming track.

This scavenger hunt nods to the concept running throughout the new records. New Last Name is an album as adventurous thematically as it is sonically – but as it’s title suggests, it hints at new beginnings. “It’s a theatrical play within an album,” explains frontman Sean Murphy O’Neill. “. “There’s a lot going on. It can be simply enjoyed as an album, but there are characters, acts, stage directions etc. The listeners can decide on the narrative themselves, but we want them to get lost in it.”

Going on to speak about the single, Murphy O’Neill says, “‘Emily G’ is the center piece of the album, the 5th act of our play. She is a story found in a magazine and a real person. A tale of right place, wrong time. Something to dance to.”

From the funk-pop guitars in “We Look Good Together” through to the baroque strings in “Flex” or even the country-tinged stylings of “Babys”, it would be an understatement to call New Last Name adventurous. That’s all before you even come onto the drum and bass drumming of the vibrant and vital “Happy Endings”. Brimming with nuance and pop culture references, the only constant is that the Liverpool group maintain their irrepressible sense of abandon.

Going on to speak about the album, Murphy O’Neill says, “I’ll admit that New Last Name isn’t really a play. Whilst it IS tied together by a narrative thread – it’s actually a collection of our most contained pop songs, and strangest experiments sat side by side.

New Last Name is unrestrained and chaotic. At the same time, it is more focused and detail-oriented than anything we’ve done before. New Last Name is a study in contradictions, and it’s the best damn play south of the north pole.”

That play goes on the road next year, with the band also having announced a new run of EU / UK tour dates to take place in Spring next year. Having cemented themselves as a must-see live act, Courting recently toured as main support for Circa Waves and just last month sold-out a headline performance in their hometown within ten minutes of announcing it. The band also toured “Guitar Music” extensively last Autumn as well as performing at multiple summer festivals including Reading & Leeds Festival, Wide Eyed Festival, Latitude, Truck Festival, Live At Leeds, Community Festival, and The Great Escape. They also came together earlier this year for “The Wedding” – a hometown wedding-themed show which saw the band unveil new material for the first time.

Courting
New Last Name
Lower Third

1. Throw
2. We Look Good Together (Big Words)
3. The Hills
4. Flex
5. Emily G
6. Babys
7. The Wedding
8. Happy Endings
9. America

Pre order New Lat name by Courting HERE