Inspiral Carpets announce ‘Burn Like The Sun’ – their first studio album in 12 years

Inspiral Carpets announce Burn Like The Sun – their first studio album in 12 years, out January 29th, 2027 via Scruff of the Neck Records.

The band have unveiled a special announcement video, narrated by Professor Brian Cox – a connection that stretches back to the vibrant Oldham music scene of the late 1980s, when Cox performed keyboards with local rock band Dare. Sharing roots in both music and a fascination with space exploration inspired by the Apollo era, the collaboration brings together two worlds that have long intersected through the band’s music.

Inspiral Carpets’ iconic track ‘Saturn 5’ has remained closely associated with themes of space discovery and has held a personal significance for Cox and his family over the years. The reunion also echoes the band’s historic relationship with the space community, following NASA’s invitation to film the ‘Saturn 5’ video at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1993, making Cox’s participation in the new campaign a particularly fitting full-circle moment.

First single ‘Drag The Bag’, produced by Jagz Kooner (Primal Scream, Oasis, Kasabian), arrived last week to much excitement and with open arms – a track that captures the classic immediacy of Inspiral Carpets while sounding completely of the present – listen below.

Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, Burn Like The Sun arrives 43 years into the band’s story, not as a nostalgia exercise, but as the sound of a group still evolving, still ambitious and still creatively driven.

The album marks a major new chapter for Inspiral Carpets following a period shaped by loss, reflection and renewal. After the death of drummer Craig Gill in 2016 and an extended hiatus that at times left the future of the band uncertain, the return to writing and recording became something deeper than simply making another record. What emerged is an album rooted in endurance, connection and forward motion.

The band approached Burn Like The Sun determined to create something fresh, relevant and emotionally honest – a record that acknowledges their history without being defined by it. The album’s cosmic title became the project’s defining identity early in the writing process. Drawing on imagery of light, darkness, distance and rebirth, Burn Like The Sun reflects a band continuing to move forward through changing times rather than standing still. Themes of truth, grief, love, responsibility, hope and perseverance run throughout the songs.

Crucially, Burn Like The Sun is not framed as a comeback. Inspiral Carpets are not returning to a previous moment – they are continuing a journey. Few bands navigate multiple eras, personal tragedy, cultural shifts and four decades of music history while still arriving with something this cohesive, vital and purposeful.

The partnership with Scruff of the Neck was first announced at the band’s sold-out Manchester Albert Hall show in December 2025, highlighting the shared spirit between one of Manchester’s defining bands and one of the city’s most forward-thinking independent labels. Built in Manchester, recorded in Manchester and released by a Manchester label, the project reflects the city’s enduring culture of independence, resilience and reinvention.

More than 40 years on from their formation, Inspiral Carpets remain a band connected by songs, chemistry and an enduring relationship with their audience, longtime followers and younger listeners alike. Burn Like The Sun stands as both reflection and statement: proof that longevity does not have to mean standing still.

Burn Like The Sun Tracklisting
1. Burn Like The Sun
2. Drag The Bag
3. Touching From A Distance Too Far
4. Meeting On The Hill
5. Truth Hurts
6. Wolf At The Door
7. Sacrifice
8. Contact
9. There’s A Better Way
10. Us Alone
11. By Your Side

Inspiral Carpets are: Stephen Holt (Vocals), Clint Boon (Keyboards & Backing Vocals), Graham Lambert (Guitar), Martyn Walsh (Bass & Backing Vocals), Kevin Clark (Drums & Backing Vocals).

Headline Shows
June
26th – The Live Rooms, CHESTER
27th – The Buttermarket, SHREWSBURY
28th – The Sugarmill, STOKE-ON-TRENT

July

2nd – Kidderminster Town Hall, KIDDERMINSTER
3rd – O2 Academy Oxford, OXFORD
5th – Tunbridge Wells Forum, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
23rd – The Piper, SAINT LEONARDS

August

21st – PJ Molloys, DUNFERMLINE
23rd – Tunnels, ABERDEEN
28th – Picturedrome, HOLMFIRTH

September

4th – Kanteena, LANCASTER
25th – Neuadd Ogwen, BETHESDA

Co-Headline Tour (with The Wonder Stuff)

October

1st – O2 City Hall, NEWCASTLE
2nd – O2 Victoria Warehouse, MANCHESTER
3rd – Octagon Centre, SHEFFIELD
8th – Brighton Dome, BRIGHTON
9th – O2 Academy, BOURNEMOUTH
10th – Dreamland, MARGATE
14th – Barrowland Ballroom, GLASGOW
15th – Great Hall, Cardiff Uni Students Union, CARDIFF
16th – O2 Academy, LEEDS
17th – O2 Academy, LEICESTER
22nd – Scarborough Spa, SCARBOROUGH
23rd – O2 Academy, BRISTOL
24th – University of East Anglia (LCR), NORWICH
29th – The Engine Shed, LINCOLN
30th – Wolverhampton Civic Hall, WOLVERHAMPTON
31st – Liverpool Olympia, LIVERPOOL

December

8th – O2 Academy Brixton, LONDON

Support Shows

November

14th – Winter Gardens (Olympia), BLACKPOOL (Supporting Happy Mondays)

Festival Appearances

July

4th – Guilfest, GUILDFORD
24th–26th – Blue Reef Festival, LINTON
25th – Tramlines Festival, SHEFFIELD

August

22nd – Rockore Festival, FIFE
29th – Camper Calling Festival, ALCESTER

September

5th – Musicfest Mainstage, UDDINGSTON

November

13th–15th – Shiiine On Weekender, MINEHEAD