WIRRAL band The Boo Radleys have announced details of a brand-new studio album, as well as the 30th Anniversary reissue of their lauded, landmark 1993 album, Giant Steps. 

Given encouragement by the reception of last year’s live return and first album in more than two decades, the three-piece return quickly to release Seeker, the first cut from June’s new long-player, Eight.

 

Marking perhaps their busiest ever year in 2023, the band makes up for lost time having been missing from the musical map since 1998 prior to reforming in 2021 and releasing their seventh album, Keep On With Falling, last March.  

This year will also see the band celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Giant Steps which was released on Creation Records in 1993.

Released to huge critical acclaim, the record featured an assortment of influences as the Boo Radleys merged their previous shoegazing sound with pop, reggae, noise pop and orchestral sounds.

NME and Select named it as album of the year, and Ginat Steps was also included in the book 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Wirral Globe:

Performing seven dates, kicking off with an intimate warm-up at Reading’s South Street Arts Centre on Tuesay, June 13, with more in the pipeline including summer festivals, The Boo Radleys will play the majority of the legendary album live for the very first time.

The band will play a hometown show at Birkenhead's Future Yard on Friday, June 16.

The Boo Radleys new single, Seeker, introduces the band’s eighth album, set for release on Friday, June 9 2023 on the band’s own Boostr label.

Where last year’s album, joyful in tone yet brooding with heavyweight lyrical themes, came together as an exploration of the isolated ideas of each member, Eight is, according to vocalist and co-songwriter, Sice formed of songs recorded “purposefully to appear together on an album.” Before adding, “There is also a greater depth of integration, which means that it’s more difficult to tell which member of the band the song originated with.”

Reflecting on Seeker, the new album’s opening track, written about leaning on those we trust to share life’s highs and lows, bassist and co-songwriter, Tim Brown said: “This song started out as a three-chord synth pop tune and mutated into a brassy bop courtesy of trumpeter, Nick Etwell.

"The electric guitar flourishes were added by Louis Smith before Sice added layers of backing vocals which help drive the song along and bring it to its joyful conclusion.”

Having experienced the excesses of Creation Records’ boom through the 1990s, the sweetness and the sting of success of being trapped in the Britpop storm, notably with 1995’s hit single, Wake Up Boo! and their break-up after 1999’s sixth album, Kingsize, The Boo Radleys – now Sice, Brown and drummer, Rob Cieka – work towards a new vision of the band. Whilst no longer a member of the band, the reformed Boos have paid public tribute to the band’s original guitarist and songwriter, Martin Carr, on multiple occasions from the stage during live shows.

Having performed live for the first time since 1997 on two successful tours in 2022, the first Giant Steps Tour 2023 dates are as follows:

Tue 13 June – Reading, South Street Arts Centre

Wed 14 June - London, The Garage

Thu 15 June - Tunbridge Wells, The Forum

Fri 16 June – Birkenhead, Future Yard

Thu 22 June – Dublin, The Grand Social

Fri 23 June – Belfast, The Limelight

Sun 25 June – Glasgow, Hug and Pint