Gang Of Youths are coming home for their biggest tour to date, ready to revel in the settling dust of a new studio album, 'Angel In Realtime'.
The tour is set to be held in arenas across the country, kicking off in Perth followed by Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne, with Hobart and Brisbane fans to stay tuned for a special announcement for their respective cities."The album is about the life and legacy of Dave [Le'aupepe, frontman]'s father, Indigenous identity, death, grief and God. And also the Angel, Islington," Gang Of Youths say.
A new track 'Tend The Garden' accompanies the news of the tour – this song follows previous releases 'The Angel Of 8th Ave' (telling of falling in love in a new city and making a home in another) and ‘The Man Himself’ (a song created around a sample recording from the island of Mangaia in the Cook Islands, about living with the guiding hand of your own father).
"My dad was a gifted and passionate gardener," Dave says. "It's where he funnelled a lot of his energy and sensitivity, and despite our humble economic status, we were always surrounded by beauty.
"The journey he made from Samoa to NZ to Australia was a difficult and inspiring one, but also fraught with mistakes, regret and terrible choices.
"I like to think he was building something beautiful, and pondering what life had given him in spite of his mistakes and concealment.
"We never knew his story until after he died, so this is the most poetic interpretation of his affinity for gardening that I could think of."
The upcoming album has sounds and influences ranging from American minimalism and contemporary classical to the alternative/ indie scenes of Britain, to drum & bass, to transcendent Britpop.
It's also rooted heavily in Dave's Samoan heritage, featuring samples from David Fanshawe's recordings of Indigenous music from the Polynesian islands and the South Pacific. There are also contributions from Pasifika and Maori vocalists/ instrumentalists.
"I hope the record stands as a monument to the man my father was and remains long after I'm gone myself," Dave says. "He deserved it."
General tickets on sale from 9am (local time) 19 November. More information.
Gang Of Youths 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 30 Jul - RAC Arena (Perth)Wed 3 Aug - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Fri 5 Aug - Newcastle Entertainment Centre* new show
Sat 6 Aug - Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney)
Fri 12 Aug - Rod Laver Arena (Melbourne)* sold out
Sat 13 Aug - Rod Laver Arena (Melbourne)* new show
Sun 14 Aug - Regatta Grounds (Hobart)
Sat 20 Aug - Sandstone Point Hotel (Brisbane)
'Angel In Realtime' is released 25 February. Pre-order it.
Angel In Realtime Tracklisting
1. You In Everything2. In The Wake Of Your Leave
3. The Angel Of 8th Avenue.
4. Returner
5. Unison
6. Tend The Garden
7. The Kingdom Is Within You
8. Spirit Boy
9. Brothers
10. Forbearance
11. The Man Himself
12. Hand Of God
13. Goal Of The Century
