Gang of Youths Announce New Album Compañero, 2027 North American Tour

Gang of Youths have announced their new album, Compañero, and a 2027 North American spring tour. As a preview of the record, the band has also put out a new single, “Benny’s Video.” Stream it below. The Australian indie rock band will release Compañero, their fourth studio album, on March 12th via Mosy Recordings, Sony Music Australia, RCA UK, and Arista US. The album marks a shift in the band’s approach to songwriting, they said in a press release. Frontman David Le’aupepe looked beyond the personal confessions and embraced a broader method. He was influenced by Leonard Cohen, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, David Berman, and Bill Callahan, while the band cited inspiration from the American Southwest, mid-century crooners, the Laurel Canyon folk-rock of the late ’60s and early ’70s, and art movements like surrealism. They recorded across the UK, with sessions at Decoy Studios, Redchurch, Urchin, Hoxa and their own Cloud 9 studio. Guitarist and keyboardist Jung Kim primarily produced and engineered the album while the band recorded live as much as possible. Fans can pre-order Compañero here. Buy Gang of Youths Tickets Here “I had this realization that I didn’t need to channel all this brutality anymore,” Le’aupepe said. “I used to do that out of some shame about being an artist. But I began looking at my life and experience, and began to think that making art is a worthwhile thing to continue exploring in itself.” With “Benny’s Video,” a reference to Michael Haneke’s 1992 film that inspired the single’s darker edge, propulsive synths are paired with an unsettling undercurrent to create a song that’s paradoxically pretty and welcoming with its violin melodies and cathartic bridge. Alongside the new album, Gang of Youths announced North American tour dates for spring 2027. The 19-date run kicks off March 17th in Boston at Royale. The band hits Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle, among other cities. The tour closes out with the group’s second weekend performance at Coachella. An artist ticket pre-sale begins Wednesday, November 18th at 10:00 a.m. local time. The general on-sale starts Friday, November 20th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster and the band’s official site. In 2022, Gang of Youths had to cancel a North American tour because of health issues affecting Le’aupepe. Their latest album, angel in realtime, was released the same year. Compañero Artwork: Compañero Tracklist: 01. This Machine, It’s a Classic 02. Things Take Time 03. YeYu 04. Manilla ’98 05. Street Value 06. Desert Life Museum 07. Benny’s Video 08. Major Arcana 09. Ants Control the World 10. Which Side of the River Are You On? 11. Future Be Kind 03/17 – Boston, MA @ Royale 03/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel 03/20 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 03/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 03/23 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 03/24 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 03/25 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre 03/27 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic 03/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line 03/30 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 03/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (The Grand) 04/02 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox 04/03 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 04/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall 04/08 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s 04/09 – Indio, CA @ Coachella 04/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 04/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive 04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella