The Pretenders return with the announcement of ‘Relentless’, their fourteenth studio album, due for release 1st September 2023 via Parlophone and available to pre-order here.
‘Relentless’ is a clearly defined snapshot of where The Pretenders are in 2023. Arriving with the impulsiveness and attitude that at once defines the band’s eternal spirit, brand new single ‘Let The Sun Come In’ is also released today, following a premiere on the BBC Radio 2 Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. Listen here.
Speaking about the album title, Chrissie Hynde said:
“I enjoy seeing the various meanings and origins of a word. And I liked the definition: “showing no abatement of intensity”. It’s the life of the artist. You never retire. You become relentless.”
The news arrives as The Pretenders look ahead to a massive summer of live performances. Tomorrow night, Friday 12th May, the band will unleash new songs from ‘Relentless’ as they headline Brighton’s Great Escape Festival, starting a sold out tour of very special exclusive club shows visiting some of the UK and Ireland’s most intimate venues.
On 30th June The Pretenders will join Guns N’ Roses as special guests at London’s BST Hyde Park, and at huge outdoor shows in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands, before headline performances at summer festivals including Midnight Sun, Bearded Theory, Black Deer and Kite. In October the band will land in America to play Ohana Festival, California, by invitation of Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl. More 2023 live activity is soon to be announced.
‘Relentless’ is the second consecutive Pretenders album to be written as a collaboration between Chrissie Hynde and the band’s resident guitar hero, James Walbourne. Especially sought after in his own right, having recorded with Dave Gahan, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Rails amongst many more.
Speaking about the Hynde/Walbourne songwriting process, Chrissie Hynde said:
“We had developed this method of working remotely and it seemed like we just kept on doing it for this album. This is something that we’ve honed down to an art in the last few years. He always comes up with something I wouldn’t have thought of myself and I love surprises.”
Produced by David Wrench and recorded at Battery Studios in West London, the album’s 12 tracks feature what Chrissie describes as “The Pretenders Collective”. This extended band features James Walbourne (guitars), Kris Sonne (drums), Chris Hill (double bass), Dave Page (bass) and Carwyn Ellis (keyboards and guitars).
‘Relentless’ also features a long hoped-for collaboration with the esteemed composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead, The Smile), who provides the string arrangement and conducted the 12 Ensemble for the album’s beautiful closing track, ‘I Think About You Daily’.
‘Relentless’ is The Pretenders’ first album to be released via Warner Brothers – Parlophone’s parent record label – since 1999. After first signing to small independent label Real Records on the back of the heyday of punk rock, The Pretenders’ first single led them to sign with Sire – whose parent company was also Warner Brothers – via legendary A&R Seymour Stein, a partnership lasting 20 years.
And now in 2023 and The Pretenders are back at their live and brilliant best – the upcoming ‘Relentless’ tour follows a handful of very intimate shows played earlier this year for Independent Venue Week. Fans were treated to a glimpse of as yet unreleased new music as The Guardian confirmed, “Hynde’s songwriting is as sharp as ever, with new songs stealing the limelight from classic hits”. All Pretenders live dates and last remaining tickets are listed here.
‘Relentless’ will be released via Parlophone on baby pink vinyl, black vinyl, and CD from 1st September. Pre-order the album here.
Pretenders 2023 Live Dates
12th May Great Escape Festival, Brighton
13th May Rescue Rooms, Nottingham SOLD OUT
14th May MASH, Cambridge SOLD OUT
16th May Cheese & Grain, Frome SOLD OUT
17th May The Sugarmill, Stoke SOLD OUT
19th May Dolans, Limerick SOLD OUT
20th May Cypress Avenue, Cork, Ireland SOLD OUT
21st May Olympia Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
23rd May Limelight, Belfast, Northern Ireland SOLD OUT
25th May Midnight Sun Festival, Stornoway, Scotland (headlining)
28th May Bearded Theory, Derbyshire (headlining)
30th May De Roma, Antwerp
31st May De Roma, Antwerp
9th June Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain (with Guns N’ Roses)
11th June Kite Festival (headlining)
12th June Estadio Abanca Balaídos, Vigo, Spain (with Guns N’ Roses)
16th June Azkena Festival (headlining)
17th June Black Deer Festival (headlining)
27th June Bellahouston Park, Glasgow (with Guns N’ Roses)
30th June BST Hyde Park, London (with Guns N’ Roses)
3rd July Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany (with Guns N’ Roses)
5th July Bernexpo, Bern, Switzerland (with Guns N’ Roses)
8th July Circo Massimo, Rome, Italy (with Guns N’ Roses)
11th July Evenemententerrein Weert Noord, Netherlands (with Guns N’ Roses)
1st October Ohana Fest, CA (with Foo Fighters)