The Rolling Stones will release their new album ‘Hackney Diamonds’ on October 20th with a first single “Angry” out now.
Our own Dee Woods joined American TV host Jimmy Fallon at the announcement in Hackney Empire Theatre, East London’s epicentre of pioneering art for almost 125 years.
At the live stream event Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood talked through their first album of original material in 18 years. The album is also the Stones’ first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 while The Rolling Stones’ last album was a blues covers LP, ‘Blue & Lonesome‘ in 2016.
The announcement of “Hackney Diamonds” followed a cryptic teaser campaign, in which an ad appeared in the Hackney Gazette and the band’s iconic mouth and tongue logo were projected onto the façade of major landmarks in cities around the world, including New York, London and Paris.
The 12-track album, for which full track list information will be revealed in due course, was recorded in various locations around the world, including Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Electric Lady Studios, New York; and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios, also in New York.
It was indicated at the press event that the album will feature Lady Gaga, and other rumoured guest stars include Sir Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.
The album is their first studio set of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang, coincidently released on 6th September 18 years ago. Since then, the Stones have continued to smash box office records for fun on a series of global sellout tours and released 2016’s Grammy Award winning ‘Blue & Lonesome’, which featured their brilliant versions of many of the blues tracks that helped shape their sound, and topped album charts around the world. Last year, they thrilled European audiences totalling nearly a quarter of a million on the anniversary Sixty tour.
“Hackney Diamonds” marks The Stones (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood) first collaboration with New York-born producer and musician Andrew Watt, who was named Producer of the Year at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards and has worked with Post Malone, Iggy Pop and Elton John.
The ‘Angry’ music video was directed by Francois Rousselet, whose credits include work with Nike, Diesel, Pharrell Williams, and on the Stones’ ‘Ride ‘Em On Down,’ from Blue & Lonesome and stars Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus, Euphoria, The Handmaid’s Tale).
The bespoke artwork for Hackney Diamonds is by digital animator Paulina Almira.
