The Dears are today announcing their ninth studio album, Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful!, out November 7, 2025 via Next Door Records.
Their first new record since 2020’s Lovers Rock, the album arrives with praise from New York Times bestselling author Jeff VanderMeer, who writes: “The Dears have made some of the most beautiful music of the past quarter century, but also some of the most defiant, with an attitude and emphasis that seems to blend the operatic with a punk sensibility.”
Of the album, singer/guitarist Murray Lightburn says, “I remember when it clicked in my brain what I was writing about. It was soon after we played a series of shows celebrating the 20th anniversary of No Cities Left. I was on stage surrounded by wonderful musicians, playing songs I wrote in my 20s. My kids and my mom were sitting up on the balcony of the theatre. Natalia was just to my right. I told the audience that sometimes it gets tough but that life is beautiful. I asked the audience to say it with me, three times: A mantra; a wish; an affirmation.
“Life is tough. We experience challenges all the time. In our darkest hours we might think it’s never going to be better. But if we can just make it through, we find out what we thought was impossible; that we could smile again, maybe even laugh. We feel our loved ones. We find out how strong we can be. The songs in this record are for everyone and anyone. They are meant to be supportive.”
VanderMeer adds, “Life Is Beautiful! Life Is Beautiful! Life is Beautiful! feels like a new masterpiece and provides further evidence that The Dears are a vital part of the musical landscape, and also just completely doing their own thing, as ever.” The full article by Jeff VanderMeer can read here.
Following recent single “Babe, We’ll Find A Way”, today The Dears are sharing the album track “Tears Of A Nation” which arrives with a video directed by Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene). “The collective battle through noise is noise in itself,” says Lightburn. “There is a decision to engage or to go it alone. To be part of the collective cries or to cry alone. The question here is which approach is the right one? Which path will get us through the noise?”
The Dears will tour the UK in February, visiting Birmingham, London, Cambridge, Manchester, Glasgow, & Leeds. Tickets can be found HERE.
THE DEARS TOUR DATES
NOV 20: MONTREAL, QC – LE NATIONAL
NOV 27: OTTAWA, ON – NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE (STUDIO)
NOV 28: TORONTO, ON – LEE’S PALACE
NOV 29: GUELPH, ON – SONIC HALL
NOV 30: ST CATHARINES, ON – WAREHOUSE
DEC 1: HAMILTON, ON – BRIDGEWORKS
FEB 10: ROTTERDAM, NL – ROTOWN
FEB 12: PARIS, FR – PETIT BAIN
FEB 14: ISTANBUL, TUR – SALON IKSV
FEB 17: BIRMINGHAM, UK – HARE & HOUNDS
FEB 18: LONDON, UK – OSLO
FEB 19: CAMBRIDGE, UK – PORTLAND ARMS
FEB 20: MANCHESTER, UK – YES (PINK ROOM)
FEB 21: GLASGOW, UK – HUG & PINT
FEB 22: LEEDS, UK – THE ATTIC
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
01 Gotta Get My Head Right
02 Babe, We’ll Find A Way
03 Doom Pays
04 Deep In My Ways
05 This Is How We Make Our Dreams Come True
06 Dead Contacts
07 Our Life
08 Tears Of A Nation
09 Tomorrow And Tomorrow
10 Life Is Beautiful
11 Don’t Go
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