Home Counties today release their second album ‘Humdrum‘ via Submarine Cat Records, ahead of their biggest headline tour to date this winter – culminating at London’s Scala on 2nd December. The band embark on a record store tour this week, starting at Rough Trade Denmark Street this evening.

Across the 10 tracks on ‘Humdrum‘, Home Counties capture the unease of saying too much or not enough, the quiet resentment of being out-charmed, and the spiral of overthinking. Told through the dual voices and perspectives of lead vocalists Will Harrison and Lois Kelly, ‘Humdrum’ trades in wiry grooves, synths that lurch between menace and euphoria, and razor-sharp pop instincts – wrapping knotty ideas into songs that feel both meticulously constructed and joyfully unhinged.

‘Humdrum‘ marks a natural progression for a band who’ve become one of the UK’s most exhilarating live acts. Produced by Al Doyle (LCD Soundsystem / Hot Chip), the album carries forward LCD’s lineage of groove-driven intensity and sardonic wit, refracted through a distinctly British lens.

On the release of new album ‘Humdrum’, Will Harrison said:

“Moving on from our debut, on ‘Humdrum’ we set out to make something dancier and more refined than anything we’d done before. I think we tamed our inherent maximalist tendencies and tried to prioritise melody and groove on these songs, whilst also not shying away from more melancholic feelings. Lyrically, there’s a bit of a shift in approach on this record – looking inwards more than out. It’s a more personal record but also probably more universal in its topics.”

From the breakdown of understanding in a relationship (‘Take You Back’), to the “hangxiety” of saying the wrong thing out of misplaced jealousy (‘Like That’), to the agonising small talk spiral of ‘Roundabout’, Home Counties dissect the chaos and comedy of human interaction. ‘Spain’ stages an argument between your younger idealist and older realist selves, ‘New Best Thing’ struts through class double standards with swaggering confidence, ‘When In Rome’ wrestles with post-riot disillusion, and title track ‘Humdrum’ stands out as a jittery, synth-heavy, hook-laced highlight that reckons with self-sabotage and success envy. Even in its quieter corners – like the tender self-awareness of ‘Meet Me In The Flat Roof’ – Home Counties display an innate ability to balance dry wit with emotional precision.

On working with Al Doyle, Will continued:

“We recorded ‘Humdrum’ over two weeks in Al’s studio just off Brick Lane, and it was a blast. Al is a hero of ours, with LCD and Hot Chip being two of our biggest influences, so it meant a lot that he wanted to work with us. A lot of the songs came into the studio nearly fully formed, in classic Home Counties maximalist style. Al was great at making us pull things back to serve the song and enforce the groove, as well as helping us shape arrangements more dynamically over the longer dancier cuts (e.g. ‘When In Rome’ and ‘Meet Me In The Flat Roof’). We were also able to use Al’s extensive collection of synths and drum machines, expanding the electronic palette to create some of the wackiest and lushest sounds we’ve ever used. Now just comes the challenge of trying to recreate one-hundred-thousand pound tones on our beat up MS-20s…”

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Humdrum’ marks a swift follow-up to Home Counties‘ critically acclaimed debut album ‘Exactly As It Seems’ which earned rave reviews from CLASH, The Skinny, Dork, DIY, The Line of Best Fit and more; a sync on the EA Sports FC 25 soundtrack, and sold-out headline shows across the UK, including 3 in London at the 100 Club, Oslo Hackney and Omeara.

Home Counties‘ new album ‘Humdrum’ is out today, 24th October on Submarine Cat Records – available to stream and purchase on 12″ vinyl and CD here. Tickets for Home Counties’ winter headline tour, culminating in London’s Scala on 2nd December, are on sale here. The band have also play in-store dates this week to celebrate the release of the album, with stops in London, Liverpool, Oxford, Kingston, Southsea and Southampton.

LIVE DATES

OCTOBER

24 – Rough Trade Denmark Street, London (In-store)
26 – Jacaranda, Liverpool (In-store)
27 – Truck, Oxford (In-store)
28 – Banquet, Kingston (In-store)
29 – Pie & Vinyl, Southsea (In-store)
29 – Vinilo, Southampton (In-store)

NOVEMBER

22 – Rough Trade, Bristol
23 – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
24 – Green Door Store, Brighton
27 – Bodega, Nottingham
28 – Flying Duck, Glasgow
29 – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
30 – YES Pink Room, Manchester

DECEMBER

01 – Hallamshire Hotel, Sheffield
02 – Scala, London

‘Humdrum’ album artwork & track listing

1. Take You Back
2. Humdrum
3. Spain
4. New Best Thing
5. When In Rome
6. Meet Me In The Flat Roof
7. Ravelling
8. Cheeseball
9. Roundabout
10. Like That