Entertainment

Snow Patrol announce special Belfast show to coincide with new album release

Tickets go on sale next week

Snow Patrol are back as a trio with a new album and Belfast date
Snow Patrol are back as a trio with a new album and Belfast date
By Sophie Clarke

SNOW Patrol have announced a “very special” show at the Ulster Hall in Belfast which will coincide with the release of their new album The Forest Is The Path on September 13.

Returning after six years following 2018′s Wildness, this will be the band’s first record as a trio now comprising singer/guitarist Gary Lightbody, guitarist Nathan Connolly and guitarist/keys man Johnny McDaid, following the departure of drummer Jonny Quinn and bassist Paul Wilson last year.

Announcing the news on social media the band said, “to celebrate the release of ‘The Forest Is The Path’ we’re going to be playing some very special intimate shows this September.”

In addition to the Ulster Hall gig the band will also play KOKO in London on September 11 before embarking on an eight date UK and Ireland tour in 2025, with Irish dates at Dublin’s 3Arena on February 25 and Belfast’s SSE Arena on February 27.

Tickets for these dates are on sale now via Ticketmaster outlets.

The Forest Is The Path artwork
The Forest is The Path features cover art by Gary Lightbody

Alongside the announcement of the intimate Belfast show, the band also released their newest single All, which is the third song to be shared from the forthcoming album.

Speaking about the new single, Gary Lightbody says, “All was written by Fraser T Smith and myself in late November of 2022.

“The first day of writing with him I walked into the studio, and he had already got some music going. It was all very much “hi, how are you, what about this?” and BAM we were off.

“I love when that happens. Not really a fan of the small talk. I like big talk. And when you’re writing a song with someone you have to get to the big talk (or what’s the point), so why wait?”

“My memory is that it all came together very quickly. I wrote a melody and some words while Fraser built the track and in a couple of hours we had a really great rough version of the song,” the Bangor-born frontman continues.

“Then Johnny and Nathan put some extraordinary guitars, keys and piano on it, not to mention incredible backing vocals and so many things which lifted the song massively.

“Another example of the three of us being locked-in together on this record, it felt like something truly special was happening in the studio.”

The Forest is the Path is an album rooted in reflection, introspection and interrogation. Gary explains that one of its building blocks was the idea of love from the distance of time.

“I haven’t been in a relationship for a very long time, 10 years or more, so love from a distance to me meant the way a relationship sits in your memory from a distance of, say, 10 years.

“That’s not something I’d previously thought about as a way to write about love.

“So, it’s like, when you’re in love, you’re standing in the lobby of the Empire State Building. When you’ve broken up with that person, you’re out in the street. You can still see the building, but you’re not in there anymore.

Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody played an acoustic gig on Bangor seafront after becoming a Freeman of the Borough.
Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody played an acoustic gig on Bangor seafront after becoming a Freeman of the Borough.

“And when it’s 10 years later, now you’re standing in Brooklyn looking at the Manhattan skyline.”

The 12-track album features guest appearances from its producer Fraser T Smith, plus Will Reynolds, Roy Kerr and Queens of The Stone Age man Troy Van Leeuwen, who also contributed to the writing of some songs.

Tickets will go on sale from the Ulster Hall website on Wednesday August 14 at 10am.