Nothing But Thieves have announced their fifth studio album Stray Dogs, due 25th September via RCA Records/Sony Music, alongside new single ‘Evolution’ and a 2027 headline world tour.
The Southend five-piece returned to Angelic Studios in Oxfordshire, where they recorded their self-titled debut over a decade ago, for a concentrated five-month writing and recording period. Unlike previous albums, the material was developed collectively from the outset rather than assembled from road-tested ideas, a process the band describe as resulting in their most liberating and cohesive work to date. The twelve-track album centres thematically on community, belonging and shared experience, drawing on the immediate world the band have built around themselves on the road.
The announcement followed an elaborate five-day campaign: guerrilla posters appeared in cities across the UK, a cryptic YouTube channel built over four days, and a global livestream preceded the reveal. The band played Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland before staging a secret show at Think Tank in Newcastle the following day under the name Stray Dogs.
New single ‘Evolution’ arrives as a direct statement of intent, punchy and melodic, the band reflecting on what is real and lasting in a world of noise. “We’ve spent some time trying to work out what’s real and tangible about who we are and how we use our time,” they have said. “The people we travel the world with, the human moments on stage, the connection we make with those who come to our shows. That’s real. It’s a bit of a love letter to the people in our world in that way.”
Before the 2027 tour, Nothing But Thieves support Biffy Clyro at outdoor shows in London and Edinburgh this summer, with European festival dates also confirmed.
The 2027 UK and Ireland arena tour is as follows:
2 Feb – 3Arena, Dublin
4 Feb – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
5 Feb – The O2, London
8 Feb – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
10 Feb – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
12 Feb – Co-Op Live, Manchester
13 Feb – bp pulse Live, Birmingham
