Bush tease new album The Art Of Survival by sharing opening track Heavy Is The Ocean

(Image credit: Thomas Rabsch)

With their ninth studio album, The Art Of Survival, set to drop on October 9, Bush have offered fans a taste of what they can expect, by sharing the 12-song collection's opening track, Heavy Is The Ocean.

According to frontman Gavin Rossdale, the song "sets the tone and the gravitas" of their follow-up to 2020's The Kingdom. Earlier this month, Bush fans were given their first preview of Rossdale's new material with the release of the album's lead-off single More Than Machines

Speaking about the new single, London-born Rossdale says, "I love the power of the ocean. It’s mesmerising to me. It feeds your soul. The song uses the imagery I love. At this point, I’m chained at the zoo of rock! So, I was like, ‘Fuck it, I’m going to turn that puppy up'."

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Hear 'that puppy' below:

Offering an insight into the themes running through The Art Of Survival, Rossdale says, "Instead of being mournful or self-piteous, this is about the success stories of humanity’s survival against the odds. People just find a way to push through. We’ve all obviously suffered in varying degrees. I think the nature of life is the art of survival.

"Everyone is being tested all of the time, but we find a way. In recent memory, we’ve made major strides and shown great resilience in the face of war, endless instances of racism, gender politics, a pandemic, and a melting pot of what we’ve experienced. For me, The Art of Survival encompasses all of this."

Bush are on tour in America at present, supporting Alice In Chains and Breaking Benjamin. The tour is due to conclude on October 8 in Mansfield, MA at Xfinity Center.

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.