Pulp releases first album in 24 years

Pulp, the enduring indie band, has unveiled their first album in nearly a quarter of a century, titled More, along with their first single in 24 years called Spike Island. Frontman Jarvis Cocker revealed that the overwhelming reception to their 2023 reunion tour motivated the band to return to the studio and create new music. Inspired by a fan’s account of the 1990 Stone Roses concert at Spike Island, Pulp’s new single is a reminiscent look at that event.

The band, originally forming in Sheffield in 1978, gained immense popularity during the 1990s Britpop era with hits like Babies, Disco 2000, and Common People, despite not entirely conforming to the musical tendencies of that period. Pulp sold over 10 million records, marking an extended journey of success. Following 2001’s We Love Life, the band took a decade-long hiatus before reforming in 2011 for festival dates and later reuniting in 2023.

The new album, More, set to release in June, pays tribute to Pulp’s former bassist Steve Mackey, who passed away in 2023. Cocker expressed the emotional challenge of recording without Mackey but emphasized the enduring bond that their shared music creates. The recording process for the album took three weeks in 2024, with Cocker noting that there was no overarching thematic concept, allowing the band a liberating sense of creative freedom.

For the music video accompanying their single Spike Island, Cocker turned to artificial intelligence to animate their iconic “cardboard cut-out” figures featured on the Different Class album cover. While utilizing AI for the video creation, Cocker humorously concluded that despite that experience, his preference ultimately lies with human intelligence over artificial counterparts.

Looking ahead, Pulp is scheduled to kick off a tour in the UK following the album’s release, with no plans currently set to play at Glastonbury. While they will be performing in Spain in July, they remain absent from the bill for the legendary festival. Despite the band’s evolution and the passage of time, their music continues to captivate audiences and spark nostalgia for the iconic era of Britpop.