News

Johnny Foreigner Are Criminals!

• 10th Aug 2009

Preceded by their first single proper from the sophomore album on 12th October; 'Criminals' and follow the release with an extensive UK tour.

'We traded our secrets for shortcuts and blankets, mapped out our futures as crowds drew around us, held artless embraces like gaslight romantics who never expected the end so soon’ – from ‘Criminals’

A year after the release of the critically lauded and much blogged about debut album ‘Up all Night’, JOHNNY FOREIGNER return with their brilliant second record ‘Grace and the Bigger Picture’, set for release on October 26th through Best Before Records. The album was recorded in NYC, and produced by Alex Newport (Death Cab, Rival Schools, At the Drive In, The Mars Volta).

‘Grace’ is a mature, euphoric, exciting and sprawling record, in part documenting their last year of being together in a band, on the road and away from loved ones. From recording and gigging in New York: ‘we're back seat taxi traffic taking over Times Square’ (Custom Scenes…) to festival experiences across the world ‘we drink for free in cold marquees (Ghost the Festivals)’, front man Alexei recounts tales of ambition and failure, love and loss, as well as including all the amazing/awful/annoying/necessary/unnecessary/regretful/unforgettable things that happen around it all.

Songs about falling in love with the wrong person at the same time as the right person, about taking bad drugs in great places or great drugs in wrong places, about jealousy and revenge, boredom, happiness and having your records, friends and thoughts stolen off you by girls. There is never love without hurt, pain without relief, experience without bravery and good thoughts with bad, ‘Grace And The Bigger Picture’ comes to many mixed and open ended conclusions, but the strong sense of making the most of what you have while you can, be that a music venue, a relative or a loved one, comes through in spades.

The album climaxes after the 7 minute epic final track ‘The Coast was Always Clear’ with a final word to an ex girlfriend who always moaned about not having enough songs written about her…‘goodnight oh second prize, you made the sequel’.

'Grace And The Bigger Picture' tracklisting:

choose yr side and shut up!
security to the promenade
ghost the festivals
feels like summer
illchoosemysideandshutup, alright
criminals
custom scenes and the parties that make them
more heart, less tongue
kingston called, they want their lost youth back
i woke up on a beach in aberystwyth
(graces)
dark harbourzz
every cloakroom ever
more tongue, less heart
the coast was always clear

After an incredible 2008 including the release of their debut album, two full headline tours and numerous support tours and festivals, JOHNNY FOREIGNER start the onslaught all over again (as if they ever stopped). 2009 has already seen UK and European tours and the free album advance download single ‘Feels like Summer’ in July, but they're back on the road in October – see below for dates.

UK October Tour with support from TELLISON and JAPANESE VOYEURS

05 – Bodega, Nottingham

06 – Jericho Tavern, Oxford

07 – The Flapper, Birmingham

08 – The Caver, Exeter

09 – Audio, Brighton

10 – The Garage, London

12 – The Harley, Sheffield

13 – Deaf Institute, Manchester

14 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

15 – King Tuts, Glasgow

16 – Korova, Liverpool

17 – Soul Tree, Cambridge