Shame announce new album 'Cutthroat', share the title track's music video
Jamie Wdziekonski

Shame announce new album 'Cutthroat', share the title track's music video

Today, the UK band Shame announced their upcoming studio album, Cutthroat, will be released September 5 via Dead Oceans. This news comes after months of the band teasing new material on their social media.

Shame also released the title track "Cutthroat" alongside the announcement, sharing an accompanying music video, directed by Ja Humby. Watch/listen to the new track below:

"[Cutthroat] is about the cowards, the cunts, the hypocrites,” says vocalist Charlie Steen via press release. “Let’s face it, there’s a lot of them around right now.” He explained that new record will emphasize direct confrontation — addressing the frustrations of war and conflict, corruption, greed, and more head-on. Grammy Award winner John Congleton (St. Vincent, Mogwai, The Murder Capital, etc.) is credited as lead producer.

The single takes inspiration from dance hall, indie rock revival, and a bit of punk. The band explained on social media that its sound was designed for the live show, per their announcement on Instagram. The satirical lyrics adopt an over-the-top arrogant persona, highlighting the layers of insecurity and self-doubt rooted in those feelings. “I was reading a lot of Oscar Wilde plays where everything was about paradox,” Steen explained. “In ‘Cutthroat’, it’s that whole idea from Lady Windermere’s Fan, 'Life’s far too important to be taken seriously.'"

Cutthroat cover art courtesy of Shame

Cutthroat is out September 5 via Dead Oceans. Preorder here. Full tracklist:

1. Cutthroat
2. Cowards Around
3. Quiet Life
4. Nothing Better
5. Plaster
6. Spartak
7. To and Fro
8. Lampião
9. After Party
10. Screwdriver
11. Packshot
12. Axis of Evil

Shame will embark on the Massive Monster tour at the end of September to promote the new album. They will travel to cities across Europe and the UK. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, June 6. Check out the dates below:

09/28 Paris, FR @ La Cigale
09/29 Antwerp, BE @ TRIX
09/30 Cologne, DE @ Gebäude 9
10/02 Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
10/03 Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
10/04 Hamburg, DE @ Knust
10/06 Copenhagen, DK @ Pumpehuset
10/07 Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret AS
10/08 Stockholm, SE @ Slaktkyrkan
10/10 Helsinki, FI @ Korjaamo
10/11 Tallinn, EE @ Paavli Kultuurivabrik
10/12 Riga, LV @ Palladium
10/14 Vilnius, LT @ Kultūra
10/15 Warsaw, PL @ NIEBO
10/16 Berlin, DE @ SO36
10/18 Prague, CZ @ MeetFactory
10/19 Bratislava Nova, SK @ Cvernovka
10/20 Vienna, AU @ Chelsea
10/22 Zagreb, HR @ Club Mochvara
10/23 Belgrade, RS @ Zappa Baza
10/24 Sofia, BG @ Mixtape 5
10/26 Istanbul, TK @ Blind
10/28 Bucharest, RO @ Control
10/29 Cluj, RO @ Atelier
10/30 Budapest, HU @ A38
10/31 Munich, DE @ Strom
11/02 Zurich, CH @ Plaza
11/03 Milan, IT @ Magazzini Generali
11/05 Lyon, FR @ L'Epicerie Moderne
11/06 Reims, FR @ La Cartonnerie
11/07 Lille, FR @ L'Aeronef
11/09 Southampton, UK @ 1865
11/10 Leeds, UK @ Project House
11/12 Dublin, IE @ National Stadium
11/13 Cork, IE @ Cypress Avenue
11/15 Manchester, UK @ New Century
11/16 Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
11/17 Bristol, UK @ SWX
11/19 Brighton, UK @ Chalk
11/20 London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town


The Needle Drop may earn an affiliate commission via purchases on ticket links through this article.

Victoria Borlando

New York, NY

freelance music journalist

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