Los Angeles punk veterans X announce final album Smoke & Fiction

(Image credit: Gilbert Trejo)

Los Angeles punk icons X have announced details of their last-ever record, Smoke & Fiction, plus plans for an extensive US tour.

Best known for their 1980 debut album Los Angeles, the quartet - comprised of their original line-up, vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake - have declared their intention to disband following a farewell tour celebrating their ninth and final album, which will be released on August 2 on Fat Possum Records.

The 10-track album is being previewed by the punchy single Big Black X, billed as a reflection 'on the early history of X, their life in Hollywood, and the events unfolding in the world during those formative years.'

Watch the video for the single below:

The first leg of the band's farewell tour will kick off in Kansas City, Missouri on July 6, and run through to October 4, with a show at the Palladium Times Square, New York.

X ~ The End is Near ~ Smoke & Fiction Tour

Jul 06: Kansas City The Uptown, MO
Jul 07: Omaha The Waiting Room, NE
Jul 09: St. Louis Del Mar Hall, MO
Jul 10: Milwaukee Turner Hall, WI
Jul 12: Minneapolis The Varsity, MN
Jul 13: Chicago Square Roots Festival, IL
Jul 14: Chicago Fitzgerald’s, IL
Jul 16: Detroit The Masonic, MI
Jul 17: Kent The Kent Stage, OH
Jul 19: Indianapolis The Vogue, IN
Jul 25 - Los Angeles The Regent, CA
Jul 26: Los Angeles The Regent, CA
Jul 28: Costa Mesa Pacific Amphitheatre, CA
Jul 30: Solana Beach Belly Up, CA

Aug 19: Menlo Park The Guild Theatre, CA
Aug 20: Menlo Park The Guild Theatre, CA
Aug 22: Boise Knitting Factory, ID
Aug 23: Spokane Knitting Factory, WA
Aug 25: Portland The Aladdin, OR
Aug 28: Salt Lake City The Depot, UT
Aug 30: Denver The Summit, CO

Sep 01: Albuquerque The El Rey,NM
Sep 22: Derry Tupelo Music Hall, NH
Sep 23: Boston The Wilbur, MA
Sep 25: Albany Empire Live, NY
Sep 26: Rochester Water Street Music Hall, NY
Sep 27: Pittsburgh Jergel’s, PA
Sep 28: Falls Church The State Theatre, VA
Sep 30: Philadelphia Keswick Theater, PA

Oct 01: Patchogue Patchogue Theatre, NY
Oct 02: Norwalk District Music Hall, CT
Oct 04: New York Palladium Times Square, NY

Ticket info here.

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.