Inspiral Carpets have revealed ‘Drag The Bag’, their first single in 12 years, out May 20th via Scruff of the Neck Records. The track is inspired by the grind of life and the universal idea that everybody is carrying something.
Direct, melodic and built for live crowds, it captures the classic immediacy of Inspiral Carpets while sounding completely of the present. Recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester, ‘Drag The Bag’ 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 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.
Headline Shows
June
26th – The Live Rooms, CHESTER
27th – The Buttermarket, SHREWSBURY
28th – The Sugarmill, STOKE-ON-TRENT
July
2nd – Kidderminster Town Hall, KIDDERMINSTER
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
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