Snow Patrol's New Album 'The Forest Is The Path' Arrives

09-13-2024

(Republic) Snow Patrol today (Sept 13th) release their stunning new album 'The Forest Is The Path' featuring new single 'Everything's Here And Nothing's Lost'. 'The Forest is the Path' is the Northern Irish band's eighth studio album and marks their eagerly awaited return after six years, following 2018's 'Wildness'. It is produced by Fraser T Smith (Adele/Dave/Stormzy) and the band. Now comprising the trio of Gary Lightbody, Nathan Connolly and Johnny McDaid, Snow Patrol offered the first tastes of their extraordinary new album with singles 'The Beginning', 'This Is The Sound Of Your Voice' and 'All'.

'The Forest Is The Path' was written by Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody and Johnny McDaid and features twelve tracks. Fraser T Smith, Will Reynolds, Roy Kerr and Troy Van Leeuwen (QOTSA) also contributed to the writing on some of the songs on the album. The album and single artwork features paintings by Gary Lightbody.

New single 'Everything's Here And Nothing's Lost' is the second song the band wrote for the album on a brief but pivotal writing trip to Somerset. "It was written on the second day there," Lightbody says "The first day we wrote 'The Beginning' and the second day we wrote 'Everything's Here and Nothing Lost' which are now the first and third singles from the album, so you could say it was a productive trip".

'The Forest is the Path' is an album of contrasts. At times epically joyous, life-affirming and giant - in fact Lightbody calls the album "the biggest sounding record we have ever made" - and the first four tracks are some of the mightiest choruses they have released in their now thirty year career. But it also holds space for moments that are pin-drop quiet and earth-shatteringly devastating.

Lyrically, it's by far the most laid-bare and most unsparing of the band's albums Phrases leap out and ambush you, constantly. "I'm only lost if you don't look for me." "I'm not going to lie to you anymore, after these lies. Then no more." "I want to be in love without being loved in return." "I've told myself a million times who you weren't, so I can finally forget who you were." "Love is just pain in reverse." It's not a record for the faint-hearted, to be sure - but it may just be a salve for the heart that hurts.

The recording sessions with Fraser T Smith were intense and cathartic. All three members describe them as utterly transformative, not least Gary, for whom they were like looking in the mirror and refusing to turn away. Listening to 'The Forest is the Path', you feel that his whole journey as a songwriter was fated to arrive at this point. No filter, total honesty and humility, a deep and untiring excavation of the past. Hearing his lyrics and his singing - the best and most beautiful of his career - you feel as if you're staring into his soul.

Snow Patrol kicked off their return in the summer with a stunning performance at Rock Werchter in Belgium before playing to 30,000 fans at a sold out Thomond Park Stadium in Limerick. After headlining a run of festivals, the band will play two intimate shows at KOKO in London and Ulster Hall in Belfast in the week of album release.

'The Forest Is The Path' tracklisting:
1. All
2. The Beginning
3. Everything's Here And Nothing's Lost
4. Your Heart Home
5. This Is The Sound Of Your Voice
6. Hold Me In The Fire
7. Years That Fall
8. Never Really Tire
9. These Lies
10. What If Nothing Breaks?
11. Talking About Hope
12. The Forest Is The Path