July 30, 2021 sees the release of Common Ground, the self-produced new album from Big Big Train on their own label, English Electric Recordings. The new album, recorded during the worldwide pandemic, sees the band continue their tradition of dramatic narratives but also tackles issues much closer to home, such as the Covid lockdowns, the separation of loved ones, the passage of time, deaths of people close to the band and the hope that springs from a new love. New video for the title track, created by Christian Rios, is streaming below.

"This is unashamedly a love song. It is about finding things that we share and have in common with other people. When my partner and I first came together as a couple, we lived not far from Avebury in Wiltshire, a very Big Big Train kind of place. The chalk hills and standing stones were part of the imagery of our ‘Folklore’ album, and once again I was writing what was literally happening in the location in which we found ourselves. I remember seeing my white chalk dust footprints upon the black of the car mats after we'd been walking around Avebury.  I'm pleased that we both get to have this time with each other and ‘Common Ground’ is about finding out the things that we have in common with each other and deciding what we want to do in life together." - David Longdon

Common Ground sees the band taking in wider musical and lyrical inspiration from artists such as Elbow, Pete Townshend, Tears For Fears, Elton John and XTC, as well as acknowledging their more progressive roots. As ever, Big Big Train will take listeners on a journey, be it waiting for the UK 5 PM pandemic press conferences (“The Strangest Times”) to the library of Alexandria (“Black With Ink”) to the bottom of the ocean (“Atlantic Cable”).

For the Common Ground tour, which will be their most extensive to date and which will culminate in the UK with a show at the prestigious London Palladium, Greg Spawton (bass), David Longdon (lead vocals, flute), Nick D’Virgilio (drums, vocals) and Rikard Sjöblom (guitars, keyboards, vocals) will be joined by Carly Bryant (keyboards, guitars, vocals), who contributes vocals to ‘Common Ground’, Dave Foster (guitars), who plays on two tracks on the new album, Clare Lindley (violin, vocals) and by a five piece brass ensemble. The band expect to announce North American tour dates shortly.

Big Big Train has taken lyrical and musical inspiration from periods of history that are recognised as great leaps forward. Now with Common Ground, they are making such a surge themselves. Preorders available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“The Strangest Times”
“All The Love We Can Give”
“Black With Ink”
“Dandelion Clock”
“Headwaters”
“Apollo”
“Common Ground”
“Atlantic Cable”
“Endnotes”

“Common Ground” video:

UK Tour 2022:

March
15 – York – Barbican
16 – Cambridge – Corn Exchange
18 – Birmingham – Symphony Hall
19 – Bath – Forum
21 – Glasgow – Royal Concert Hall
22 – Manchester – Bridgewater Hall
23 – London – Palladium