We wanted something human and unpolished, where the small sparks of magic come from the rough edges.
Embrace have unveiled a new album titled ‘Avalanche’, which they describe as their most “honest, open and raw” release to date. You can hear the first single ‘Road To Nowhere’ below, alongside details of a newly announced 30th anniversary UK tour.
The upcoming release will be the band’s ninth studio album and is scheduled to arrive on June 12 via Cooking Vinyl. Visit here to pre order.
According to the group, the album leans into a renewed sense of honesty and reflects on how life can unexpectedly steer you down paths that are out of your control. It also places focus on the quieter and more modest moments that are easy to miss, yet often become the most meaningful parts of living.
“We came into this album with a really simple idea: that real, deep, honest-to-God joy doesn’t live in the big, dramatic moments we’re all taught to chase,” said frontman Danny McNamara. “It doesn’t live in huge, unattainable goals or impressive, life-changing achievements. It lives in the small, almost invisible flashes of magic that happen when you slow down and actually live in the moment.
“Lyrically, I was trying to capture those little magic moments. Ironically, I’ve spent most of my life not noticing them, and when I finally did, they all came at once – it’s been pretty overwhelming. Which I guess is why the title ‘Avalanche’ felt so right.”
Today on Wednesday January 28, the band shared the first preview of the record with the release of lead single ‘Road To Nowhere’.
According to McNamara, the song explores “the futility of a toxic relationship [and] the fact you don’t realise you’re on a road to nowhere until you reach the end of it.” You can listen to it below.
The track’s message reflects the wider themes of the album, with the band explaining that they were not “trying to write something definitive, or sum everything up, or make any grand statement”. Instead, they focused on letting the songs “feel honest in the moment they were written.”
“We wanted the music to sound human – rough around the edges – because the little moments of magic are never polished. You don’t build them, they just arrive. And if you’re paying attention, you might just capture something real. If you’re lucky,” McNamara continued.
“At its core, this album came from realising that life doesn’t wait for you to be ready. It just keeps happening – and you either show up for it or you don’t,” he added. “This album probably asks more questions than it answers. We let songs stay uncomfortable. We let them say I don’t know, I’m scared, or this might never be enough. That felt more honest, open, and raw than anything we’ve done before.”
Alongside the album news, Embrace have also confirmed a new run of UK dates to celebrate 30 years as a band.
The tour will begin on November 9 with an opening night at the Music Hall in Aberdeen and will continue across the month with shows in Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, London, Birmingham and beyond.
It will draw to a close with a show at the O2 Guildhall in Southampton on November 27, followed by a final night in Cardiff on November 28. Visit here for tickets, which go on general sale on February 6.
Embrace 30th anniversary UK tour dates are:
NOVEMBER 2026
9 at Music Hall, Aberdeen, UK
10 at Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
12 at NX, Newcastle, UK
14 at O2 Academy, Manchester, UK
15 at Rock City, Nottingham, UK
17 at Dome, Brighton, UK
19 at Beacon, Bristol, UK
20 at Roundhouse, London, UK
21 at O2 Academy, Birmingham, UK
22 at Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK
24 at Dreamland, Margate, UK
26 at Arena, Torquay, UK
27 at O2 Guildhall, Southampton, UK
28 at Tramshed, Cardiff, UK
Last summer, Embrace joined Ocean Colour Scene, Cast and Sleeper as support for James at the Sheffield Rock N Roll Circus.
Before that, the band announced plans for a UK tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album ‘Out Of Nothing’ in 2024 and marked the 25th anniversary of their debut record ‘The Good Will Out’ the year before.
.png)
