The Wildhearts have released a lyric video for Remember These Days, the first track to be taken from their upcoming 10th studio album, 21st Century Love Songs. The album is the follow-up to Classic Rock's favourite album of 2019, Renaissance Men.
"The title, 21st Century Love Songs, is a sarcastic swipe at how online porn and social media have redefined love from a private indulgence to a public fabrication," says Ginger Wildheart. "Everyone knows everything about everyone, or at least too much. The old fashioned idea of romance is dead."
"This song, Remember These Days, also harkens back to a more innocent time when being in a band, and simply making music, was enough. With streaming sites we are selling romance for a more immediate fix."
Remember These Days is typical Wildhearts: a crashing riff, and a chorus pumped with enough oxygen to make the song truly soar. And with lyrics like "We were bits of kids/Trying to sing like Jake [a reference to Stiff Little Fingers] That's something they will never take away/High on amphetamines, still learning how to play," it's a poignant, affectionate look back at the band's early days.
“I was sitting blind drunk one afternoon, looking at a picture of me and CJ on stage having a great old time," says Ginger. "It had been a year since we’d played live and I started to miss it even more. So I started writing this song.
"I never write while drunk. I’ve probably done it half a dozen times in my life. But the picture got me all emotional, thinking about how much fun we used to have, even in the ‘bad old days’.
"It made me want to document these times because who knows, maybe we’ll look back on these times and remember only the good things?"
The Wildhearts have also announced an 18-date UK tour in September/October to promote the album. The band also perform at the Download Pilot Festival this Sunday. Full dates below.
21st Century Love Songs is released on September 3 and available to pre-order now.
The Wildhearts’ autumn UK headline tour
Sep 03: Tramshed Cardiff
Sep 04: Bristol SWX
Sep 05: Exeter Phoenix
Sep 06: Frome Cheese & Grain
Sep 08: Manchester Academy 2
Sep 09: London Electric Ballroom
Sep 10: Norwich Waterfront
Sep 11: Brighton Chalk
Sep 12: Bournemouth Madding Crowd
Sep 15: Wolverhampton KKs Steel Mill
Sep 16: Gloucester Guildhall
Sep 17: Newcastle Boiler Shop
Sep 18: Leeds Stylus
Sep 20: Galashiels Mac Arts
Sep 21: Stirling Tolbooth
Sep 22: Aberdeen The Lemon Tree
Sep 24: Sheffield Foundry
Sep 25: Southampton Engine Rooms
Oct 01: Skegness Great British Alternative Festival
Oct 02: Milton Keynes MK11
Oct 15: Northampton Roadmender
Oct 16: Cornwall Rocks
Nov 05: Birmingham MMH Radio 10 Year Birthday Bash
Nov 11: South Shields Hedworth Hall
Nov 12: Inverness Monsterfest
