Released in 2014, Royal Blood’s self-titled debut album changed everything for lifelong friends Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher. The duo had played in bands together for years, but armed with a record of instant classics, Royal Blood suddenly achieved a level of success that few debut UK rock bands have come close to achieving. The album fired straight to #1 and went on to be certified double-Platinum, earning the duo the BRIT Award for Best British Group as well as further awards from NME and Kerrang! It also started a run which has seen all four of their studio albums go straight to #1 in the UK – most recently with last year’s ‘Back To The Water Below’.
Now Royal Blood go back to their roots and celebrate where their story began with the release of ‘Royal Blood – 10th Anniversary Edition’ on August 16th. It will be accompanied by a new short documentary titled ‘Shouting Through The Letterhole’, which launches on YouTube at 7pm BST / 8pm CEST on August 15th.
Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher commented, “We can’t quite comprehend the fact that a decade has passed since the release of our debut album! The world, minds, and bodies we inhabit now feel somewhat unrecognisable to where it all began, yet the music on that record has remained a constant. It really did change our lives and we owe it everything.”
Ten years on and the electrifying energy of Royal Blood’s debut album remains as impactful as ever. Full of colossal riffs and battering ram rhythms matched by a flair for instantly memorable songwriting, the all-or-nothing performances of ‘Figure It Out’, ‘Come On Over’, ‘Out Of The Black’, ‘Little Monster’ and ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ are still viscerally frenetic, and all those tracks remain staples of their live show to this day.
The ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ comes complete with a wealth of bonus material. The package includes four b-sides from the era, including the deep cut fan favourites ‘One Trick Pony’ and ‘Hole’, plus the previously unreleased ‘Sleeptalker’ and Tom Dalgety’s original mix of ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’, plus five live recordings from 2015, including three songs from their first main stage set at the Reading Festival.
‘Royal Blood – 10th Anniversary Edition’ is available to pre-order HERE. Formats include a gold double-vinyl which features the late Dan Hillier’s iconic ‘Pachamama’ artwork complete with a mirror-board finish and a gold background, it will also be released on CD and digital. Blood Records recently launched an additional album format, a striking limited edition zoetrope vinyl edition.
Royal Blood further reflect on their early days together with the documentary ‘Shouting Through The Letterhole’. The film takes us back to the start for Mike and Ben, with an array of rare and previously unseen footage encompassing interviews, behind-the-scenes content and performances from their ten years together. The YouTube afterparty will feature two previously unseen performances of ‘Out of the Black’ and ‘Figure It Out’, that were filmed at their triumphant homecoming Brighton Beach show in the summer of 2023.
2024 has seen Royal Blood power through a busy touring schedule, highlights have included two unforgettable 10th anniversary shows at the O2 Academy Brixton where they played their debut album in full, with one night featuring a surprise special guest performance from Shane Hawkins (son of the late Foo Fighters legend Taylor Hawkins) on ‘Little Monster’. They’ve also toured the States with Queens of The Stone Age and hit festivals everywhere from Hellfest to Shaky Knees to Lollapalooza India. The duo are now ending their summer festival schedule, with two of their biggest headline festival sets to date: Romania’s Summer Well Festival (August 10th) and then Belgium’s Pukkelpop (August 18th).
‘Royal Blood – 10th Anniversary Edition’ tracklist:
1. ‘Out of the Black’
2. ‘Come on Over’
3. ‘Figure It Out’
4. ‘You Can Be So Cruel’
5. ‘Blood Hands’
6. ‘Little Monster’
7. ‘Loose Change’
8. ‘Careless’
9. ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’
10. ‘Better Strangers’
Additional tracks on CD and vinyl:
1. ’One Trick Pony’
2. ‘You Want Me’
3. ‘Love and Leave It Alone’
4. ‘Sleeptalker’
5. ‘Ten Tonne Skeleton’ (Tom Dalgety Mix)
6. ‘Hole’
7. ‘Figure It Out’ (Live from T In the Park 2015)
8. ‘Loose Change’ (Live from Reading Festival 2015)
9. ‘Little Monster’ (Live from Reading Festival 2015)
10. ‘Better Strangers’ (Live from Bonnaroo 2015)
11. ‘Out Of The Black’ (Live from Reading Festival 2015)
