The Zutons announce first album in 16 years and UK tour

'The Big Decider' is released in April 2024

The Zutons
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 15th Nov 2023
Last updated 15th Nov 2023

'Valerie' hitmakers The Zutons have announced their first album in 16 years and a lengthy UK tour of intimate venues.

Featuring nine all-new Zutons tracks, ‘The Big Decider’ is the band’s first record since 2008’s ‘You Can Do Anything’ and it’s released on Friday 26th April 2024.

The Zutons recorded the album at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London and the renowned Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire with superstar producers, Chic’s Nile Rodgers and The Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie, who helmed their debut album ‘Who Killed The Zutons?’

Newly trimmed down to a trio - Dave McCabe (guitar, lead vocals), Abi Harding (saxophone, vocals) and Sean Payne (drums, vocals) – The Zutons say their new record is one “born under the weight of family tragedies.”

According to a statement from the band, the album was ‘wrestled into shape under the kind of steam that only decades-long friendships – with all their messy fall-outs, make-ups, breakdowns and ultimately love – can muster.’

The band also cite Dave McCabe’s stay in rehab as a turning point that brought them closer together.

"Dave has been through an awful lot in the last few years, and these things have obviously really impacted him,” says Harding.

“But his songwriting has only got better. Now he spends more time on his songs. He’s in touch with his own and others’ emotions, and that all goes into the songs. It has been so nice to watch him grow. I’m so proud of him."

The Zutons - The Big Decider artwork

Dave McCabe comments: "Working with Nile was just an amazing experience, he gave me a confidence that I’ve never felt before making a record. He’s very laid-back as a person and a good listener.”

He adds: "It was great to reconnect with Ian Broudie on this record as well. He told me the demo of Big Decider brought a tear to his eye and that’s why he said yes to working with us again. It was one of the first songs we wrote for the album so getting that reaction from Ian made me feel like we were doing something right. The song spoke for itself."

Ahead of the album’s release, The Zutons will embark on a lengthy UK tour in early 2024 taking in intimate venues.

Tickets go on sale from Absolute Radio Tickets at 10am on Friday 24th November.

The Zutons’ UK tour dates:

JANUARY 2024

Carlisle Old Fire Station – 31st

FEBRUARY 2024

Blackpool Bootleg Social – 1st

Huddersfield Parish – 2nd

Birkenhead future Yard – 3rd

Stockton Ku – 7th

Hull The Welly – 8th

Mexborough Gorilla Beer Hall – 9th

Merthyr Tydfil Redhouse – 10th

Milton Keynes MKII – 15th

Guilford Boileroom – 16th

Southend Chinnerys – 17th

Hertford Corn Exchange – 22nd

Norwich Waterfront – 23rd

Northampton Roadmender – 24th

Stockport Bask – 28th

Chesterfield Real Time – 29th

MARCH 2024

Leicester O2 Academy 2 – 1st

Stoke Sugarmill – 2nd

Dunfermiline PJ Molloys – 6th

Dundee Fat Sams – 7th

Rossendale St Mary’s Chambers – 8th

Reading St Laurence Church – 9th

Buy The Zutons tickets

Absolute Radio's 100 greatest albums:

The Velvet Underground – ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’ (1967)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Beatles – ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Beach Boys – ‘Pet Sounds’ (1966)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Aretha Franklin – ‘I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You’ (1967)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Jimi Hendrix – ‘Electric Ladyland’ (1968)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Johnny Cash – ‘At Folsom Prison’ (1968)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Rolling Stones – ‘Let It Bleed’ (1969)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Doors – ‘The Doors’ (1967)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Bob Dylan – ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ (1965)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Van Morrison – ‘Astral Weeks’ (1968)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Marvin Gaye – ‘What’s Going On’ (1971)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Stevie Wonder – ‘Songs In The Key of Life’ (1976)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Clash – ‘London Calling’ (1979)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Pink Floyd – ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’ (1977)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Joy Division – ‘Unknown Pleasures’ (1979)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Blondie – ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

David Bowie – ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ (1972)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Sex Pistols – ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols’ (1977)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Human League – ‘Dare!’ (1981)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Paul Simon – ‘Graceland’ (1986)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Tracy Chapman – ‘Tracy Chapman’ (1988)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Kate Bush – ‘Hounds of Love’ (1985)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ (1986)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

U2 – ‘The Joshua Tree’ (1987)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Prince – ‘1999’ (1982)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Stone Roses – ‘The Stone Roses’ (1989)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Bruce Springsteen – ‘Born in the USA’ (1984)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Duran Duran – ‘Rio’ (1982)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Blur – ‘Parklife’ (1994)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Lauryn Hill – ‘The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’ (1998)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Massive Attack – ‘Blue Lines’ (1991)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’ (1991)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Oasis – ‘Definitely Maybe’ (1994)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Paul Weller – ‘Stanley Road’ (1995)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Primal Scream – ‘Screamadelica’ (1991)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Pulp – ‘A Different Class’ (1995)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Radiohead – ‘OK Computer’ (1997)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Verve – ‘Urban Hymns’ (1997)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Arctic Monkeys – ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Franz Ferdinand – ‘Franz Ferdinand’ (2004)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Strokes – ‘Is This It’ (2001)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Amy Winehouse – ‘Back to Black’ (2006)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The White Stripes – ‘Elephant’ (2003)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Beyoncé – ‘Dangerously in Love’ (2003)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Coldplay – ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ (2002)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Libertines – ‘Up the Bracket’ (2002)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Killers – ‘Hot Fuss’ (2004)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Kings of Leon – ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ (2004)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Adele – ‘21’ (2011)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Drake – ‘Take Care’ (2011)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Lana Del Rey – ‘Born to Die’ (2012)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Royal Blood – ‘Royal Blood’ (2014)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Wolf Alice – ‘Visions of a Life’ (2017)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’ (2013)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Liam Gallagher – ‘As You Were’ (2017)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – ‘Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds’ (2011)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

BIffy Clyro – ‘Opposites’ (2013)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’ (2016)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Muse – ‘Absolution’ (2003)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Thin Lizzy – ‘Jailbreak’ (1976)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Metallica – ‘Metallica’ (‘The Black Album’) (1991)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ (1977)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Queen – ‘A Night At The Opera’ (1975)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Dire Straits – ‘Brothers In Arms’ (1985)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

AC/DC – ‘Back In Black’ (1980)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Bon Jovi – ‘Slippery When Wet’ (1986)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (1971)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Prince and The Revolution – ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (1980)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction (1994)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture (1996)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Who – ‘Quadrophenia’ (1979)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1977)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Goodfellas Music from the Motion Picture (1990)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Drive – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2011)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Beatles – ‘Help!’ (1965)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Black Sabbath – ‘Paranoid’ (1970)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Foo Fighters – ‘The Colour and the Shape’ (1997)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Arctic Monkeys – ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ (2007)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Oasis – ‘(What’s the Story?) Morning glory’ (1995)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Radiohead – ‘The Bends’ (1995)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Dr. Dre – ‘2001’ (1999)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Daft Punk – ‘Discovery’ (2001)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin II’ (1969)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Muse – ‘Origin of Symmetry’ (2001)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Pixies – ‘Doolittle’ (1989)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Beatles – ‘1967-1970’ (The Blue Album) (1973)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Blur – ‘The Best Of’ (2000)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Bob Marley & The Wailers – ‘Legend’ (1984)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

David Bowie – ‘The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974’ (1997)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Green Day – ‘International Superhits!’ (2001)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Madonna – ‘The Immaculate Collection’ (1990)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Pulp – ‘Hits’ (2002)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Queen – ‘Greatest Hits II’ (1991)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

The Rolling Stones – ‘Hot Rocks 1964-1971’ (1971)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Stereophonics – ‘Decade in the Sun: Best of Stereophonics’ (2002)

The 100 Collection on Absolute Radio: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Listen to Absolute Radio across the UK on your digital radio, the free Rayo app, by hitting that play button on the bottom of your screen or by asking your smart speaker to "play Absolute Radio".