The Jesus & Mary Chain has released their new single ‘Chemical Animal’, a preview of their upcoming album ‘Glasgow Eyes’ which is set to release on March 8th. The single, which follows their November single ‘jamcod’, is a heavy reflection on the past with dense guitar lines intertwining with an ominous soundscape of fizzing instrumentals. Vocalist Jim Reid has revealed that the band’s work on their autobiography also seeped into the writing of their new album.
In the interview, Reid spoke about how ‘jamcod’, the first single from the album, was inspired by the night in 1998 when the band broke up. Unlike ‘jamcod’, ‘Chemical Animal’ deals with the topic of chemical dependency and its effect on life. Reid said that during his bout with drug dependency, everything he did was by instinct. The need to score became the driving force to do anything. Eventually, he was glad to get out of that lifestyle as it was a biological curse beyond his control.
While discussing what inspired the band to release a new album after almost two decades, Reid stated that the gap between their records was mostly due to him. The making of ‘Munki’ was a horrific studio experience, which discouraged the possibility of making another record. However, after coming together for ‘Damage & Joy’ with “no screaming rows”, Reid concluded that the time was right to make another record.
The Scottish alt-rock band has announced a UK and European tour to follow the album’s release. The band’s full list of tour dates and any remaining tickets are available on their website. The band’s new book, edited by Ben Thompson, will be available soon, and they are currently in early discussions for a documentary
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