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Jul 08, 2022 By Mark Redfern

Scotland’s Belle and Sebastian have performed their first ever Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music. The band performed four songs: “Unnecessary Drama,” “Working Boy in New York City,” “Reclaim the Night,” and “Judy and the Dream of Horses.” It was filmed late last month during the band’s recent U.S. tour. Watch it below.

Back in May the band released their latest album, A Bit of Previous, via Matador. In June they shared a new song, also titled “A Bit of Previous,” but not featured on the album.

Stream A Bit of Previous here and read our review of it here.

Previously Belle and Sebastian shared A Bit of Previous’ first single, “Unnecessary Drama,” via a video for it. “Unnecessary Drama” was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its second single, “If They’re Shooting At You,” which they have dedicated to the people of Ukraine and are donating all proceeds from the song to the Red Cross. It was accompanied by a video featuring images from photographers covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “If They’re Shooting At You” was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its third single, “Young and Stupid,” via a lyric video featuring photos of the band as children, teenagers, and in their 20s. “Young and Stupid” was accompanied by a statement from actor Jon Hamm (Mad Men, Baby Driver) and also made our Songs of the Week list. Then they shared a video for the album’s “Talk to Me, Talk to Me,” which was directed by 15-year-old South London siblings Freya and Rosalie Salkeld.

A Bit of Previous was recorded in the band’s hometown of Glasgow after plans to record in Los Angeles in the spring of 2020 were scrapped due to the pandemic. The band self-produced the album, recording it themselves. The album features contributions from Brian McNeill, Matt Wiggins, Kevin Burleigh, and Shawn Everett. There are four different album covers for A Bit of Previous.

“We did it together, us and the city,” said Murdoch in a previous press release. “This record was the first ‘full’ LP recording for B&S in Glasgow since Fold Your Hands Child, 1999. We clocked in every morning, we played our songs, we wrote together, we tried new things, we took the proverbial lump of clay, and we threw it every day.”

A Bit of Previous is the band’s first proper full-length album in seven years. But in that time they have released EPs (plus an album that collected all the EPs), a soundtrack, and a live album. Their last regular album was 2015’s Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance. In late 2017 and early 2018 Belle and Sebastian released three interconnected EPs via Matador, all titled How to Solve Your Human Problems. How to Solve Your Human Problems Part 1 came out in December 2017, Part 2 came out in January 2018, and Part 3 came out in February 2018. Then all three EPs were collected in a vinyl box set and CD compilation that also came out in February 2018. In 2019 they released the soundtrack for the indie film Days of the Bagnold Summer. In 2020 they released the live album, What to Look for in Summer.

Read our interview with Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch on How to Solve Your Human Problems.

Read our review of How to Solve Your Human Problems.

Read our interview with Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch on Days of the Bagnold Summer.

Belle and Sebastian Tour Dates:

2022 Tour Dates:

Jul-15 Bristol, UK Lloyds Amphitheatre, Bristol Harbourside
Jul-16 Stirling, UK Cardross Estate, Doune The Rabbit Hole
Nov-13 Cardiff, UK Great Hall - Student’s Union
Nov-14 London, UK The Roundhouse
Nov-15 London, UK The Roundhouse
Nov -17 Sheffield, UK O2 Academy Sheffield
Nov-18 Liverpool, UK Olympia
Nov -19 Hull, UK Asylum, Hull University Union
Nov-21 Aberdeen, UK Beach Ballroom
Nov-23 Edinburgh, UK Usher Hall
Nov-24 Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK O2 City Hall, Newcastle
Nov-25 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy
Nov-27 Cambridge, UK Corn Exchange
Nov-28 Birmingham, UK O2 Academy Birmingham
Nov-29 Southampton, UK O2 Guildhall Southampton
Nov-30 Brighton, UK Brighton Dome

2023 Tour Dates:

Jan 8th, 2023 France - Le Mem, Rennes
Jan-10 France, Paris, Casino de Paris
Jan-11 Holland, Utrecht, Tivoli Grote Zaal
Jan-13 – Luxemborg City, Luxemborg, den Atelier
Jan-14 Germany, Hamburg, Laeiszhalle
Jan-16 Sweden, Gothenburg Tradgarn
Jan-17 Sweden, Stockholm Filadelfia
Jan-18 Norway, Oslo Sentrum Scene
Jan-19 Denmark, Copenhagen Vega
Jan-21 Germany, Berlin Tempodrom
Jan-22 Germany, Munich Muffathalle
Jan-23 Switzerland, Zurich X-tra Limmathaus
Jan-25 France, Clermont-Ferrand, Co-op de Mai
Jan-26 Italy, Milan Fabrique

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