Echo & The Bunnymen have confirmed the release of their first album of new material in more than a decade. *Apples For Isaac* will be released on 18 September, with the first single, *Brussels Is Haunted*, introducing the Liverpool band’s latest collection and marking the return of Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant to the studio for their first new songs since 2014.
by Paul Cashmere
Echo & The Bunnymen will release their first studio album in 12 years on 18 September, ending the longest gap between albums in the band’s career. Apples For Isaac follows 2014’s Meteorites and features the late Blondie drummer Clem Burke on 10 of its 11 tracks, making the record one of the final studio projects completed before Burke’s death during the album’s production.
The announcement is accompanied by the release of the album’s first single, Brussels Is Haunted, giving fans an early preview of the band’s thirteenth studio album. The release also reunites frontman Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant on a collection of newly written material after more than a decade focused largely on touring and catalogue performances.
In a statement issued with the album announcement, the band paid tribute to Burke, whose contribution became a significant part of the project.
“The mighty, legendary Clem Burke, longtime friend of Mac, was integral to the making of the album and heartbreakingly passed away during its completion… love you Clem X,” the band said.
Burke, best known for his work with Blondie, died during production of the record, leaving Apples For Isaac as one of his final major recording projects.
McCulloch also addressed the lengthy period between studio albums in a recent interview, acknowledging that several factors delayed the project.
“What kept us? I think Covid had something to do with it,” he said.
“But also I just wanted, lyrically, for everything to make sense, or to be cryptically important.”
Reflecting on the finished album, McCulloch said the new record captures the sound he had been aiming for throughout the recording process.
“More than any other record I can remember, it’s actually sounding how I heard it in my head. I’ve just gone, sing it how you want to hear it.”
Echo & The Bunnymen have remained a consistent live attraction despite their lengthy recording hiatus. Since the release of Meteorites, the band has continued touring internationally, including anniversary performances of classic albums and festival appearances, while McCulloch and Sergeant have maintained the group’s legacy through extensive live shows.
Formed in Liverpool in 1978, Echo & The Bunnymen became one of the defining British bands of the post-punk era. The group’s early catalogue, including Crocodiles, Heaven Up Here, Porcupine and the acclaimed Ocean Rain, established the band as one of the most influential acts to emerge from Liverpool after the 1970s. Songs including The Cutter, The Killing Moon, Seven Seas and Bring On The Dancing Horses remain central to their catalogue and continue to attract new audiences.
The band’s history has also been marked by significant personal loss. Original drummer Pete de Freitas died in a motorcycle accident in 1989, while keyboard player Jake Brockman died in 2009. Following Ian McCulloch’s departure in 1988, the group temporarily continued with vocalist Noel Burke before disbanding in 1993. McCulloch and Sergeant reunited under the Echo & The Bunnymen name in 1997 and have continued recording and touring ever since.
The new album also follows the band’s recent appearance at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium supporting My Chemical Romance, demonstrating that while studio recordings have been infrequent, Echo & The Bunnymen remain an active live act nearly five decades after their formation.
With Apples For Isaac, the band returns with its first collection of original material in more than a decade, while also honouring the contribution of Clem Burke, whose drumming became an important part of the album’s creation. The release represents both a new chapter for Echo & The Bunnymen and a tribute to one of rock’s most respected drummers.
Tracklisting
Apples For Isaac
Take Me By The Hand
Can’t Be Sold
Brussels Is Haunted
I’ll Be Your Sunshine
Hijacked
The Honey
Unstoppable Force
The Light That Surrounds You
Lab Rats Ran
Asimov
We Prayed In The Dark
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