Squid unveils “Cro-Magnon Man,” the final single from their new album Cowards (Warp Records) out this Friday, February 7th. “Cro-Magnon Man” jumps to a parallel timeline where the objects that contain no meaning will likely outlive us all. Featuring vocals from guitarist Louis Borlase alongside Clarissa Connelly, Tony Njoku and Rosa Brook, glitching synth stabs and guitars provide the backdrop that otherwise exists in a bass-heavy underworld. “Cro-Magnon Man” follows singles “Crispy Skin,” and “Building 650.”
Cowards is an album about evil. Consisting of nine distinct tales, these apophenia-tinged songs are punched by vantablack comedy. Cowards is rich in layers and harmonies, full of digital soundscapes, acoustic grandeur, and experimental tones found by pushing instruments far beyond their traditional roles. Throughout their third album, Squid — Louis Borlase, Ollie Judge, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell, and Anton Pearson — explore textures of folk, kosmische, psychedelia, jazz, and electronics. It is the sound of five brains all tuned into the same frequency, bassist and cornetist Nankivell explains, “It’s fucking difficult, it takes many years to figure out a collective language you can share with five of us, and we have managed that musically, to feed off each other.”
The band recorded Cowards at Church Studios in Crouch End with Mercury prize-winning producer Marta Salogni and Grace Banks, with additional production by longtime collaborator Dan Carey, who recorded the band’s first two albums. The record was mixed by John McEntire (Tortoise) before being mastered by Heba Kadry.
Cowards will be available on black and clear vinyl, CD and cassette. There will also be a limited deluxe edition vinyl including a 10” with bonus material and poster only available from independent retailers and Squid’s website. Squid will embark on a UK and EU headline tour beginning next week. A full list of dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now.
Squid 2025 Tour Dates
Mon. Feb. 17 – Liverpool, UK @ Invisible Wind Factory
Tue. Feb. 18 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz Manchester
Wed. Feb. 19 – Glasgow, UK @ Old Fruitmarket
Fri. Feb. 21 – Newcastle, UK @ NSU Domain
Sat. Feb. 22 – Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill
Mon. Feb 24 – Cambridge, UK @ Junction 1
Tue. Feb 25 – Norwich, UK @ The Adrian Flux Waterfront
Thu. Feb. 27 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy Oxford
Fri. Feb. 28 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Rooms
Sat. March 1 – Margate, UK @ Lido
Sun. March 2 – Brighton, UK @ Chalk
Tue. March 4 – Birmingham, UK @ XOYO
Wed. March 5 – Bristol, UK @ Bristol Beacon
Wed. April 9 – Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage
Thu. April 10 – Cologne, DE @ Club Volta
Fri. April 11 – Dresden, DE @ Polimagie Festival
Sat. April 12 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
Mon. April 14 – Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
Tue. April 15 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
Wed. April 16 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix
Fri. April 18 – Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique Festival
Sat. April 19 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
Sat. April 26 – London, UK @ Roundhouse
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