Mystery Jets Postpone Release Of New Album 'A Billion Heartbeats' And UK Tour
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Written by Laura Johnson
Photo: Phoebe Fox
Mystery Jets have postponed the release of their new album and their autumn UK tour.
The band were due to put out the follow up to 2016’s ’Curve Of The Earth’ on September 27 and support it with shows and instore performances in November. However, due to the ill health of vocalist Blaine Harrison and the need for him to undergo emergency surgery these have all been put on hold. A new album release date and rescheduled tour dates are expected to be confirmed soon for 2020.
Check out the full statement from Harrison and the band below, alongside Wrong Side Of The Tracks, the latest song to be shared from the new record.
“It is with a lump in my throat that I bring you the following news from my bed at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, a place that has been something of a home from home to me over the years.
"Early on Saturday morning I awoke with a swelling in my thigh and a temperature in the high thirties. Upon arrival at A&E I was put straight onto the emergency operation list to halt an infection close to my bone from spreading around my body.
"As some will know, I was struck down at the beginning of the summer under similar circumstances. Upon my release, I made a plan to charge on with our summer shows as well as instores around the album release and go in for follow-up surgery straight off the back of the November tour.
"In retrospect, perhaps I hadn’t taken into account how demanding the past couple of months would be on my body. This industry is not one that runs from 9-5, and as anyone trying to get their art out in to the world will know, when it’s your baby, it is all-consuming and takes all that you’ve got.
"One of the most humbling parts of being a Mystery Jet is the understanding we have known from our fans whenever my health has fluctuated. We are also fortunate to have gathered a team around us over the years of good people who understand our vision and work tirelessly to bring our ideas to light. Even in our efforts over the past two days to conceive a way of partly sticking to the original plan, they have been the first to remind me that health always comes first.
"Therefore, we have reluctantly decided to postpone the release of ‘A Billion Heartbeats’ to the beginning of next year, including the instore shows and UK tour. We believe in these songs too much to not give them our all, and love our fans too much to not bring you the show you deserve. We have been touched by the response to the music so far and promise you there is plenty more to come.
"Watching the autumn leaves begin to curl and golden into burnt umber and ochre hues from my hospital window, I feel a quiet excitement, that these songs are part of a conversation which we would love to keep open with you.
"2020 will be upon us before soon and we are going to come back stronger than ever.
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