Everything But The Girl Announce Their First Album In 24 Years

UK indie rock duo Everything But The Girl recently shocked fans when they revealed that they had reformed and were spending time in the studio. That time writing was spent well, as husband and wife Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have revealed details of their first album in over 24 years, Fuse, which will be released on 24 April.

The pair have also shared the first single from the album, Nothing Left To Lose, with an accompanying music video directed by Charlie Di Placido (Kojey Radical, Jungle). Watch below.

Watt and Thorn wrote and produced Fuse in the summer of 2021. The pair have returned to the glittering, luscious electronic soul music they were known for in the mid-90s. Thorn’s rich voice is mixed front and centre, while Watt’s landscape of sub-bass, sharp beats, half-lit synths and empty space feels timeless.

The duo recorded the album at home in secret, as well as in a small riverside studio outside Bath with their friend and engineer Bruno Ellingham.

Thorn commented about the album, “Ironically the finished sound of the new album was the last thing on our mind when we started in March 2021. Of course, we were aware of the pressures of such a long-awaited comeback, so we tried to begin instead in a spirit of open-minded playfulness, uncertain of the direction, receptive to invention.”

She added, “After so much time apart professionally, there was both a friction and a natural spark in the studio when we began. However much we underplayed it at the start, it was like a fuse had been lit. And it ended in a kind of coalescence, an emotional fusion. It felt very real and alive.”

Watt said, “It was exciting. A natural dynamism developed. We spoke in short-hand, and little looks, and co-wrote instinctively. It became more than the sum of our two selves. It just became Everything But The Girl on its own.”

Pre-order Fuse here.

Two months ago, the couple created an Instagram account for the first time to share, "For our first post, we thought you'd like to know we've made a new Everything But The Girl album. It'll be out next spring. Love, Ben and Tracey."

Everything But The Girl’s driving pop number, Missing, from 1994's Amplified Heart gifted the duo a worldwide hit after the New York DJ Todd Terry remixed the track in 1995. Missing hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and enjoyed seven months on the UK Singles Chart; the song was nominated for a Brit Award for Best British Single.

The English duo formed the project in 1982, and their music has spanned from jazz-influenced pop music, electronic, trip-hop, and new wave to alternative pop. The group haven’t performed live since 2000.

Thorn and Watt have released music separately since the hiatus of Everything But The Girl - Thorn has released five solo albums, with her most recent album, Record, in 2018. Watt has released four solo albums; his most recent record, Storm Damage, came out in January 2020. He has also worked as a DJ, launched record labels and production companies, and co-owned West London nightclubs Neighbourhood and Cherry Jam.