That Joe Payne has announced that he will release his new solo album, Bread & Circuses, on September 22.
The album, Payne's third as a solo artist, following on from 2020's By Name. By Nature. and last year's Ding Dong Christmas album, features a sound that ranges from synth prog to electronica and beyond and is inspired by current socio-political topics such as Brexit, the climate crisis, gun law, and the general demise of public morale.
"This is an album everyone can relate to,” says Payne. “The world seems to be falling apart all around us, and it’s stressful. But sometimes the best we can do is laugh at the things we find ridiculous, and that’s been my objective with this record.
"I’d say this is my best work; it’s the most ‘me’ I’ve ever had the chance to be! It’s queer, it’s fun, it’s unapologetically explicit. It’s me just making music for the love of making music, and I think that carries across to other people in their enjoyment of it, which is rewarding to see. We only get one life, and we could all die tomorrow, so let’s not waste any time being miserable."
Bread & Circeses features Oliver Day on guitar (Ms Amy Birks/Beatrix Players), Moray Macdonald on trumpet (ex- Crimson Sky/Ghost Community/Godsticks) and Josh Green (Rolling Thunder) on drums, all of whom performed on the single Live The Dream ahead of a line-up change in 2022. Since then, the rest of the album has been made to feature Esmeralda Edwards (Tom Grennan) on bass, Jake Perrett (Aderyn) on drums, and Joshua Ryan (Chargr) on guitar.
The album was recorded and produced at Payne’s home studio in Northampton. All music and lyrics are by That Joe Payne with engineering, mixing, and mastering by Max Read. Bread & Circuses was produced by That Joe Payne and Max Read, and the cover art produced by Northampton-based photographer and digital artist, Jack Savage. You can see the new art and tracklisting below.
Bread & Circuses will be showcased for the first time on Saturday September 16 with a full-band show at Queens Park Arts Centre in Payne’s birth town of Aylesbury.
That Joe Payne: Bread & Circuses
1. Falling in Love is Easy
2. River Run Dry
3. My Heart
4. Plastic Grass
5. Live the Dream
6. Despite Everything
7. Fucking Fucked
8. Bread & Circuses
