In early 2022, Black Country, New Road released their UK #3 and Billboard #9 (Vinyl Albums) album “Ants From Up There” (their second Top 5 UK album debut in 12 months, following their A2IM Libera Award nominated “For the first time”), which was lauded by fans and critics alike, spending 6 weeks in the Top 10 of the NACC Top 200, gaining numerous 5* reviews and appearing on end of year lists across the globe, including being voted #1 by fans on r/indieheads, Rate Your Music and #3 by Pitchfork readers.Fresh from the success of “Ants From Up There” and with a full touring schedule ahead of them in 2023, the now six-piece band decided to write an entire new set of material to perform. They played to swelling crowds at festivals, including triumphant performances at Primavera, Green Man and Fuji Rock, entering a new musical phase as they navigated and developed songs that were just weeks old. They also toured the US with black midi and headlined two shows at Bowery Ballroom in New York, the first of which sold out in under 5 minutes. Their US tour was covered Pitchfork, Stereogum, Paste, and more.The band garnered widespread support for this new material across the board with Rolling Stone UK describing their Green Man set as "unmissable", and the Guardian going on to say that they were "greeted by something close to rapture." These performances have also attracted a profile from the New York Times, multiple glowing live reviews, and a nomination for Best Live Performer at the AIM Independent Music Awards last year.
