News
Newton Faulkner returns with New Studio album
After a five-year hiatus from releasing new music, Newton Faulkner returns with ‘Alright Alright Alright’, the lead single from his upcoming eighth studio album, ‘OCTOPUS’, his first with Cooking Vinyl Records set for release 19th September 2025.
The acclaimed British singer-songwriter marked this new chapter in November 2024 when he cut his iconic ginger dreadlocks during the finale of his tour at London’s Islington Assembly Hall. The haircut, which took place during an acoustic performance of hit single “Dream Catch Me,” benefited Teenage Cancer Trust while symbolising a new direction for Faulkner, both visually and musically.
For Faulkner, this transformation represents more than a simple change in appearance. “I felt like my hair was tying me to the past,” he explains. “The guy that sang ‘Dream Catch Me’ from under a large pile of hair is a distant memory and has been for a while.” The artist describes his new direction as “freedom from the past” and embraces authenticity in his creative choices. “This is about letting go, there is no part of this record that is trying to recreate anywhere I’ve been before, however well it might have gone. This is me, this is my head, this is what I love.”
Although only just turning 40, Faulkner’s impressive career spans nearly two decades, beginning with his breakthrough debut album “Hand Built by Robots” (2007), which reached #1 in the UK charts and achieved double-platinum status. His success continued with “Rebuilt by Humans” (2009) peaking at #3 and earning Gold certification, followed by his second UK #1 album “Write It on Your Skin” (2012). His subsequent releases include “Studio Zoo” (2013), “Human Love” (2015), “Hit the Ground Running” (2017), and “Interference (Of Light)” (2021), which was released during the challenging conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Alright Alright Alright’ represents a significant departure from Faulkner’s previous sound, featuring distorted Hofner Violin Bass instead of his traditional acoustic guitar. “I was in the studio having more fun than anyone should be allowed have at work and I didn’t give a f*ck what anyone would think of the track,” Faulkner explains. “The fact that it is now the first single of my eighth studio album is mind blowing to me.”
The track features vocal contributions from Ukrainian duo The Bloom Twins, whom Faulkner credits with adding “a layer of ice cool surrealism” to the song. “It’s also heartbreaking and very eye-opening talking to someone that flies home to Ukraine four times a year,” he notes about the collaboration. “When I first met them they had just got back to East London from their family home outside Kyiv where missiles fly over the roof on a regular basis.”
‘OCTOPUS’ represents the longest gap between albums in Faulkner’s career, providing him time to explore new creative directions. Working from his home studio in East London, Faulkner approached songwriting from fresh perspectives, incorporating diverse sonic elements throughout the album.
‘Alright Alright Alright’ will be available across all streaming platforms from today, with the full album ‘OCTOPUS’ to follow 19th September 2025 via Cooking Vinyl Records.
Fans who pre-order ‘OCTOPUS’ from the Newton Faulkner store will receive access to a presale for tickets for the October/November UK & Ireland tour. The pre-sale will open at 9:00am on Wednesday, May 7th and will remain live until any remaining tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday, May 9th.
As part of the new album campaign a series of collector’s edition CDs and vinyl have been made available to pre-order across Amazon, HMV, indie retail and Newton’s store. Each edition features exclusive, one-of-a-kind artwork created especially for this project – making them a must-have for fans and collectors alike.
LIVE
Pre-sale commences 7th May 2025
General Sale from 9th May 2025
Mon 13th Oct – Norwich, The Waterfront
Tues 14th Oct – Manchester – Academy 3
Wed 15th Oct – Cardiff – Tramshed
Thurs 16th – Birmingham – Academy 2
Sat 18th Oct – Exeter – Lemon Grove
Sun 19th Oct – Bath – Komedia
Mon 20th Oct – Cambridge – Junction
Wed 22nd Oct – Leeds – Project House
Thurs 23th Oct – Newcastle – Northumbria Student Union
Sat 25th Oct – Aberdeen – OGV Podium
Sun 26th Oct – Glasgow – SWG3
Tues 28th Oct – Liverpool – Arts Club Theatre
Wed 29th Oct – Leicester – 02 Academy 2
Thurs 30th Oct – London – Earth Concert Hall
Thurs 13th Nov – Belfast – Limelight 1
Sat 15th Nov – Dublin – The Ambassador
Sun 16th Nov – Cork – Cyprus Avenue