Barry Hyde announces new album
Futureheads’ Barry Hyde has unveiled his upcoming solo album, “Mins’ Ballads,” and shared the latest single, “The Last Dance (at the lessor’s ball)” – listen below.
- READ MORE: Futureheads: “Noel Gallagher told us that we are the strangest group that he heard when he heard”
About the conceptual album
The Miner Ballads will be a conceptual album exploring the legacy of coal mining in the northeast of England, with a particular focus on Sunderland and Washington. The recording will be released on March 21 through Sirenspire Records, and you can pre-order it here.
“The Last Dance (at the Ball of the Householder)” features Hyde playing a vintage piano as he narrates a poignant story about an employee who refrains from seeking vengeance after encountering a young woman. Listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufqypoeldfe
Speaking about the track, Hyde remarked: “The Last Dance (at the lessor’s ball) is an outstanding addition to the album and follows the narrative that has evolved throughout the production. Following the song “Cold Luddy,” which centers on love impacted by a coal shaft, the protagonist is consumed by jealous rage after failing to win over a local girl from the pit, despite presenting her with unimaginable wealth and privilege. She stays loyal to her beloved Koller, while the lessor descends into madness.”
The album was commissioned by the Sunderland city council, with Hyde delving into the histories of local families and their connections to coal extraction in the area, ultimately unveiling a tragedy that struck his own family.
His friend, historian Keith Greggson, revealed that Thomas (13 years old) and Joseph (14 years old), two of Hyde’s ancestors, tragically lost their lives in the Trimdon mining disaster in February 1882 in County Durham. The final track on the album, “Trimdon Grange 1882,” is dedicated to their memory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTW5EBMUGMU
Tracklist for Ballad of Shakhtarov
- ‘Life of Shakhtar’
- ‘Crying clubs’
- ‘Collier laddie’
- ‘Endless ropes’
- “Come all that you colleagues”
- ‘What happened to the pony’
- ‘Worker’
- “Last dance (at the Ball of the homeowner)”
- ‘Trimdon Grange 1882’
In other news, Hyde recently discussed with NME his memories of opening for The Killers in 2005, along with insights about the awards ceremony that featured BLOC and Kaiser Chiefs.
“All the bands were in it together, and there was a sense of healthy competition. We were under the headline of The Killers, who adjusted their setlist based on our performance,” Hyde recounted. “We went down extremely well in Glasgow—so well that The Killers decided to start with ‘Mr. Brightside!’”
“Looking back, it was a thrilling moment for British indie music, and I would love to relive that moment nostalgically. We were so young back then. Our drummer was only 16 and wasn’t even allowed in some venues on our first tour in America.”
Hyde also reminisced about the 2005 NME award ceremony that marked the end of their tour. “It was quite a night! I was crushed after speaking with Simon Pegg at the bar, telling him how much I loved him in Shaun of the Dead, and he wasn’t very friendly,” he shared. “I ended up winning an award that nobody wanted—when NME dubbed me the most drunken person of the night!”
Futureheads will perform alongside Richard Ashcroft at a massive concert at Lamex Stadium in Stevenage on May 25, along with The Zutons. For more information about this show, click here.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-futureheads-barry-hyde-to-explore-mining-heritage-of-the-north-east-on-new-solo-album-miners-ballads-3831998?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-futureheads-barry-hyde-to-explore-mining-heritage-of-the-north-east-on-new-solo-album-miners-ballads
