The award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train will release their 15th studio album The Likes Of Us on March 1, 2024. The album is the internationally-based group’s first full collection of songs since the unexpected passing of long-serving lead vocalist David Longdon in late 2021. Besides marking the debut of new frontman Alberto Bravin, a former member of the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi, it also heralds the beginning of a new relationship with InsideOutMusic, the group having self-released their music for almost two decades.

Today, on Valentine’s Day, the band are pleased to reveal the video for “Love Is The Light”, filmed in May 2023 during their time recording the album in Trieste, Italy. Watch the Tim Sidwell-directed video below.

Alberto Bravin comments: “This song recounts a difficult period in my life and how I got through it. In 2018 my daughter was born, I had a happy life and was travelling around the world playing a lot of gigs with PFM. But for no apparent reason I became deeply depressed. The most difficult challenge is not to heal, but to admit what’s happening. And you can do it only if you have real support from the people around you. My wife, Nicole, was always there for me and she helped me find the light. And she’s still doing it: with love.”

Gregory Spawton adds: “When Alberto submitted ‘Love Is The Light’ as a song to be considered for The Likes Of Us, we really required no discussion about whether to include it on the album or not – it was an absolute no brainer that we should record it. It’s a beautiful ballad that draws from Alberto’s personal experience but also has universal appeal. When we played Love Is The Light live on tour last year, it got a terrific response every night and I hope people will take the song to their hearts as we have.”

The Likes Of Us will be released on several different formats, including for the first time as Dolby Atmos mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord, while the stereo mixes were undertaken by the band’s regular engineer Rob Aubrey together with Alberto Bravin. The Dolby Atmos mix will come as part of the Limited CD & Blu-ray Mediabook edition that also contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo. 

The album will also be available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP (available in black, sky blue, olive green and orange formats), Standard CD Jewelcase and Digital Album. The stunning artwork was created by the band’s longstanding collaborator Sarah Louise Ewing, with layouts by Steve Vantsis.

Preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Light Left In The Day”
“Oblivion”
“Beneath The Masts”
“Skates On”
“Miramare”
“Love Is The Light”
“Bookmarks”
“Last Eleven”

"Love Is The Light" video:

"Miramare" video:

“Oblivion” video:

The band have also just announced UK & European tour dates for September/October 2024.

September
17 – Swindon, UK – Wyvern Theatre
18 – Newport, UK – The Riverfront
19 – Whitley Bay, UK – Playhouse Theatre
21 – Edinburgh, UK – Queens Hall
22 – Newark, UK – Palace Theatre
24 – Milton Keynes, UK – Stables Theatre
25 – Manchester, UK – The Stoller Hall
27 – Weinheim, Germany – Stadthalle
28 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands – Boerderij
29 – Zoetermeer, Netherlands – Boerderij

October
1 – Oslo, Norway – Cosmopolite
2 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Viften 

Big Big Train will perform for the first ever time in the USA in March 2024, including an appearance on Cruise To The Edge. 

March
1 – Fort Wayne, IN – Sweetwater Performance Theatre
2 – Rutherford, NJ – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center
3 – Rutherford, NJ – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center
5 – Boston, MA – Regent Theatre

Ticket links for these shows are at bigbigtrain.com.

Lineup:

Alberto Bravin – Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Nick D’Virgilio – Drums, percussion, vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, vocals
Dave Foster – Guitars
Oskar Holldorff – Keyboards, vocals
Clare Lindley – Violin, vocals
Rikard Sjöblom – Guitars, keyboards, vocals
Gregory Spawton – Bass guitar, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron

(Photo – Massimo Goina)