The Maccabees eye first album in a decade as UK summer tour tests new material
Following a definitive 2017 breakup, the London rock group is leveraging its 2026 summer tour to roadtest new material and gauge the viability of a first studio album in over a decade.
The Maccabees are actively developing new music, targeting a full studio release to follow their 2015 record, Marks To Prove It. The London band is currently concluding a run of UK outdoor headline shows, using the dates to debut unreleased tracks like Ballad Of So Long and She.
Returning to the stage in 2025 for their first performances in eight years, the group secured major slots at Glastonbury and All Points East. Frontman Orlando Weeks noted that the band lacked new material last summer, but the current touring schedule provides an opportunity to put a fire under the writing process.
“We didn’t have any songs, and now we have some songs,” Weeks said in a recent Radio X interview, confirming the group has material they are confident in playing live. He acknowledged the logistical challenges of writing while residing in Lisbon, but views the live dates as a necessary catalyst to finalize an album.
The transition from a touring entity back to a recording act carries significant internal pressure for the group, which officially ended its initial run in 2017. Guitarist Felix White previously admitted the live return felt embarrassing, and the band acknowledged at the start of last year that they might simply hate each other by the end of the summer festival run.
White emphasized that the band will not adopt a standard cycle of frequent releases, noting that internal standards remain exceptionally high. “If we can find that secret again, then that will be a really amazing thing,” he said, indicating that a new record will only proceed if the creative chemistry justifies the project.
The current tour itinerary features support acts including Maxïmo Park, Everything Everything, Mystery Jets and Fiona-Lee. The headline run concludes at Leeds’ Kirkstall Abbey, following earlier intimate warm-up dates in Newcastle and Edinburgh.
During the extended hiatus, the members maintained individual commercial ventures to sustain their careers. Weeks released solo music and performed at Harry Styles’ Meltdown festival, while guitarists Felix and Hugo White recorded material with their side project, 86TVs.
