Believers is the third part of an album trilogy that began with The Hipsters in 2012 and continued with A New House two years later. The band’s new single the (almost) title track The Believers, which is released on August 12, is a song reflecting, in part, on the scenes of despair among refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean and elsewhere – but nevertheless cast as an anthem of hope. Frontman Ricky Ross explains: “It’s our statement that belief in the possibilities of hope and a better tomorrow is the side we choose to come down on. We once covered the mighty protest song Which Side Are You On? – a pressing question in today’s political climate. This record is our best answer.” Expanding to talk about the album, Ross continues: “You try to write something that would be good enough if it turned out to be the last thing you did. When you’re young you think ‘There’s plenty more records I can do.’ It’s not so urgent somehow. There are still plenty more records that I want to make, but I might not get time to do them all. That’s a thought that certainly pulls the songwriting into focus.” The Believers is the band’s eighth studio album and consists of 12 tracks, written or co-written by Ricky Ross. The record was produced and mixed by producer and friend Paul Savage (Mogwai, Arab Strap, The Twilight Sad, Wu Lyf) who previously worked with the band on The Hipsters. Two tracks were mixed by Grammy award-winning Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer).
