In an effort to give the fans what they want, the Jesus and Mary Chain continue to offer up teases of their impending new album, Glasgow Eyes: late last week, the Scottish band built around brothers Jim and William Reid released "Girl 71," the third single from the LP.
Arguably the catchiest of the three singles released to date, the bouncy but still decidedly grungy "Girl 71" follows on the heels of "jamcod," issued on November 29, and "Chemical Animal," which came out on January 18.
The artwork for the upcoming new Jesus & Mary Chain album, 'Glasgow Eyes,' due on March 22
Glasgow Eyes, recorded at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom studio in Glasgow, is set for release on March 22, 2024. It’s the same locale which proved creatively fruitful for the band when they recorded their previous album, Damage and Joy, in 2017.
The band will also be putting out an as-yet-untitled autobiography later in the year, and while its title and specific release date remain TBD, we can at least confirm that it's being released via Orion Publishing's White Rabbit imprint, home of recent releases from such notable names as the Chemical Brothers, Sly Stone, and Ted Kessler.
In an interview with New Musical Express, Jim Reid seemingly all but shrugged when asked about the impending book. “It’s just us talking to Ben Thompson," said Reid. "We just told him our story and he’s editing it all together. It’s just us jabbering on about us as usual. There are a few amusing anecdotes, I guess. If you’re interested in the Mary Chain I’m sure it’ll make good reading.”
The Jesus and Mary Chain released their debut single, "Upside Down," in November 1984, a standalone 45 backed with their cover of the at-the-time unreleased Syd Barrett-penned Pink Floyd song, "Vegetable Man." While they've been staples of the UK Singles chart for the majority of their career, the band has actually only had two top-10 singles: "April Skies," from their 1987 album Darklands, which hit #8, and "Reverence," from 1992's Honey's Dead, which hit No. 10.
Meanwhile, in the US, the J&MC had several huge hits on Billboard's Alternative chart, with "Blues from a Gun," which hit No. 1, followed by "Head On" (No. 2), "Far Gone and Out" (No. 3), and "Sometimes Always" (No. 4).
In addition to the band's new album, autobiography, and even a documentary that's in the words, the band is heading out on tour, starting in the UK and Ireland in late March and then heading into Europe in April. The full list of dates can be found below.
March dates:
22 – UK, Manchester, Albert Hall
25 – Ireland, Dublin, Olympia
26 – UK, Belfast, Limelight 1
27 – UK, Edinburgh, Usher Hall 30 – UK, London, Roundhouse
April dates:
2 – Denmark, Copenhagen, Amager Bio
3 – Sweden, Gothenburg, Pustervik
5 – Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller
6 – Sweden, Stockholm, Munich Brewery
7 – Sweden, Malmo, Plan B
9 – Germany, Hamburg, Markthalle
11 – Germany, Berlin, Huxleys
12 – Germany, Cologne, Live Music Hall
13 – France, Paris, Elysée Montmartre
15 – Switzerland, Geneva, L’Usine
16 – Switzerland, Winterthur, Salzhaus
17 – Italy, Milan, Alcatraz
19 – Austria, Krems, Donaufestival
20 – Germany, Heidelberg, Halle O2
21 – Netherlands, Tilburg, Roadburn Festival
23 – Belgium, Brussels, AB
24 – Netherlands, The Hague, Paard
