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The Cult have released their new album, Under The Midnight Sun via Black Hill Records. The album was produced by Tom Dalgety (Pixies, Ghost, Royal Blood)and leading to today’s release the band have shared two singles off the LP -“A Cut Inside” and “Give Me Mercy.” The album's genesis came one evening in Finland when frontman Ian Astbury took notice of the sun which would not set. He found himself reveling in the surreal, almost occult moment that comes with the “midnight sun." As Astbury dug into the writing of this album he reviewed archival footage of the performance, and found a new mysticism in that moment and imbued it into Under the Midnight Sun. The 8-track LP makes clear that Astbury and Billy Duffy have spent the six years since their last LP pushing further into their esoteric strength. Flanked by Duffy’s dynamic guitar riff, Astbury reaches new heights of sinewy vulnerability.
To celebrate the release of Under the Midnight Sun, The Cult are playing a record-release show tonight at The Roxy in Los Angeles. On Sunday, October 9 they head to The Greek Theatre for another LA-area show with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club as direct support plus King Woman and Skeleton Joe. The Cult have additional west coast dates in November - all shows are listed below and tickets are available here.
On Wednesday October 12 The Cult will release a video for Under The Midnight Sun’s lead song, “Mirror.” They once again teamed with director Juan Azulay to make the video - watch for it here.
“‘Give Me Mercy’ feels classically Cult, as the band envelop their gothic rock influences with a modern sheen.” Consequence
"Ian Astbury remains a feisty, fiery frontman... He can still wail too." Brooklyn Vegan
“Rock’s unquenchable melodramatists have the fire in their eyes still - [investing] those primal energies with the wisdom of age, creating something fresh and powerful… Which is surely what a great Cult album is all about.” Mojo Magazine
"...Under the Midnight Sun... has all of the hallmarks of a Cult gem..." LA Weekly
"(‘Give Me Mercy’) is fresh and dynamic" MXDWN
“‘Give Me Mercy’ sounds like a classic Cult song thanks to Astbury’s commanding vocals and guitarist Billy Duffy’s melodic riffs…though sonically it feels like a throwback, the lyrical content speaks to today’s social climate.” LA Daily News
“(Under The Midnight Sun) shows a band back in form” Vancouver Sun
"Sharp distortion slashes open 'A Cut Inside' to reveal the song’s scorned underbelly” Consequence
“It sounds mighty impressive” Rock Candy
“The definition of musical genius” Powerplay
"’Give Me Mercy’ (is) a Cult-style rocker packed with Duffy's riff-heavy guitarwork and Astbury's powerful vocals." Stereoboard
"the exchange between Astbury and Duffy was uber-dynamic and gripping" The Aquarian
"kick ass rock songs that have stood the test of time" The Vinyl District
"Ian’s vocals were simply amazing" We Heart Music
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When the sun just wouldn’t leave the sky one evening in Finland, Ian Astbury took notice. Walking the grounds of the Provinssirock festival, Astbury found himself reveling in the surreal, almost occult moment that comes with the “midnight sun,” the summer stretch where the sun doesn’t go down north of the Arctic Circle. “It’s three in the morning, the sun’s up, and there’s all these beautiful people in this halcyon moment,” Astbury remembers. “People are laying on the grass, making out, drinking, smoking. There were rows of flowers at the front of the stage from the performances earlier that evening. It was an incredible moment.” While reviewing archival footage of the performance, Astbury found new mysticism in that moment and imbued it into the forthcoming Under the Midnight Sun.
Leading to 2020, The Cult had been on a rolling cycle of releasing albums, touring, and recording. As the world shut down and everyone was forced to reprioritize the way they approached life and work. “When the world stopped, I had this moment to write in real time, to calculate,” says Astbury. When lockdown lifted and the group could meet to record, they teamed up with Dalgety. “I was compelled by this vision, this anomaly, this memory, of being under the midnight sun. Tom helped us bring a new musical shape and frequency to our process.”
Lyrically, Under the Midnight Sun bolsters that new musical dexterity by building out from the idyllic and surreal vision at its title. Throughout, Astbury pulls in influences from Brian Jones, Brion Gysin, William Burroughs, Buddhism, the Beats, and the Age of Aquarius, all shaded with the lingering threat of the present and the timeless Cult color palette.
As The Cult are now returning to performing live and sharing Under the Midnight Sun, Astbury hopes that the record connects to something deep within and subconscious in their listeners—something Astbury found within himself when given the moment to look for it. “At the core of it all, music contains the vibrational frequency of how we once communicated before we could even speak,” he says. “Bird songs, animal calls, string theory, quantum physics, psychedelics. The record ultimately is about finding and uniting beauty in those strangely natural moments.”
The Cult Tour Dates
Oct 7 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
Oct 9 - The Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA #*&
Nov 11 - Snoqualmie - Snoqualmie Casino – Snoqualmie Ballroom
Nov 13 - Ridgefield, WA - Ilani Events Center
Nov 16 - Monterey, CA - Golden State Theatre
Nov 17 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield*
Nov 19 - Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre*
Nov 20 - Chandler, AZ - Gila River Hotel & Casino-Wild Horse Pass-The Showroom
# - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club support
% - Zola Jesus support
* - King Woman support
& - Skeleton Joe
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Robert Kinsler
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