"Lanterna" is the second in a series of brand new tracks from Big Big Train. Having already released the album Common Ground this year, the band also recently unveiled another new track, "The Connection Plan". In the lead up to their 2022 tour, the band intend to release more material and ask fans to ‘Stay Tuned’.

"Lanterna" was written by Big Big Train’s founding member and bassist Gregory Spawton. "This song came about because of an unexpected journey in Italy. I was on holiday in Milan and travelled to the airport to fly back home. The plane that was due to land at Milan was diverted to Venice due to bad weather. Rather than hang around at the airport for a day or two, we rebooked our flight so that we could return from Genoa a few days’ later. With some time on our hands to explore the city, we ended up walking out to the beautiful lighthouse which is called the Lanterna di Genova. The Lanterna was built in the 16th century but there has been a lighthouse on the site since 1128. I liked the thought of mankind building these tall towers of light to extend our reach into the sea and to help bring sailors safely home."

Listen to "Lanterna" below, and at Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal.

Also, listen to the previous single, "The Connection Plan":

The Common Ground album 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. Orders 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”

"The Strangest Times" video:

“Apollo” video:

“Common Ground” video:

UK Tour 2022:

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