Declan Welsh and The Decadent West announce new album "Explicit Agitation" set for release 12 February 2027
After Radio 1 airplay and a Scottish Album of the Year nomination, Declan Welsh and The Decadent West have upped the stakes and are primed for far bigger things to come with the news that they will release their new album ‘Explicit Agitation’ on February 12th, 2027. Launched alongside the new single ‘Run Down Small Town’, they also start an extensive UK and European headline tour in Glasgow next week. Listen HERE.
‘Explicit Agitation’ is their most ambitious record yet. It’s a furious, state-of-the-nation address that aims its anger at those responsible for societal struggles, such as disindustrialized towns hollowed out by decades of neglect. But there’s a humanity to the record too, with love, loneliness, lost faith and searching for self-awareness all emotionally charged topics that are innately connected to its political ire.
It’s also their most complete album to date, with 11 songs to inspire and provoke, to enrage and engage, their messages – personal, political, social, emotional – shackled to rocket-powered musicianship and songcraft. It’s one that fuses the urgency, soaring hooks and raw guitars of their debut, ‘Cheaply Bought, Expensively Sold’ with the ambition, maturity and sharp focus of its follow-up, ‘2’. That synthesis was achieved during sessions with producer Chris Marshall (Gerry Cinnamon, Callum Beattie) at Mogwai’s Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow. The songs were all written by Declan with bassist Ben Corlett and key collaborator Jamie Holmes, with contributions on select tracks from Duncan McBride, Eryn Rae, Chris Small and featured artist PAQUE.
Declan says, “‘Explicit Agitation’ is doing something I don't see lots of other albums try to do. A lot of modern music, especially in terms of lyrics and storytelling, is either confessional, or narrative, or atmospheric. It’s either telling you about someone's inner thoughts, relationships, hopes, dreams, fears or it’s painting a vivid picture to you about something happening or a place in time. That is going on here, but really it isn't simply concerned with making you feel seen. It is trying to make you see things. You are confronted with arguments, thoughts, experiences, people and places in equal measure. Sonically, it pushes us into new places, an exciting piece of rock music that takes influences from Kendrick Lamar as much as Rage Against The Machine, or Nile Rodgers as much as Alex Turner.”
The album’s uncompromising attitude goes immediately on the attack with the single ‘Run Small Down Town’. Its rampaging alt-rock energy is fuelled by Declan’s distinctive vocals: all stuttering, short-sharp-shock stabs in its relentless chorus, while bringing out his authentic East Kilbride accent during its expansive verses. Its subject matter is self-explanatory - head an hour or less out of any major city and the route will be littered with towns in the midst of long-term stagnation.
He adds, “‘Run Down Small Town’ is about the towns up and down this country (and in many others) that have been forgotten and why. The argument we present is that there used to be a point to these towns, an industry, a community; and once the economic and social fabric was eroded you have lost something that kept the whole thing from crumbling. I am from a place that used to have a Rolls Royce factory and now barely has a shopping centre. People need to feel that there's hope, that there's a reason for existing.
The song is going constantly from minor to major to give you this sense of unease, of something not being resolved. It feels like getting hit in the face with a wall of guitars as well, the synths are floating above it all, the drums pound away. It's a song that drives, and it's meant to push you in the direction of feeling sympathy and righteous indignation on behalf of these places."
‘Run Down Small Town’ is released alongside another new song, the double A side track ‘City Used To Be Alive’ - the first to be solely produced and mixed by Declan. A big city parallel to ‘Run Down Small Town’, Declan considers ‘City Used To Be Alive’ to be a spiritual successor to the fan favourite ‘Aw The Time’.
‘Explicit Agitation’ is now available to pre-order / pre-save HERE. Declan’s official store offers an exclusive 100% recycled vinyl and signed CD formats, while all album bundles add a free signed bonus CD featuring four new non-album tracks. There are also exclusive new merch designs.
Declan and The Decadent West have headlined Glasgow Barrowland, hit festivals including Glastonbury, TRNSMT and The Great Escape, and played with the likes of The Reytons and Twin Atlantic. The band also features long-term bassist Ben Corlett among a rotating cast of friends and musicians. Their upcoming live shows are below, please see HERE for remaining tickets.
SEPTEMBER
- 24th - Glasgow, St. Luke’s
- 25th - Aberdeen, Tunnels
- 26th - Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire
- 27th - Newcastle, Little Buildings
- 29th - Manchester, FAC251
- 30th - Sheffield, Hallamshire Hotel
OCTOBER
- 1st - Leeds, Lending Room
- 2nd - Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
- 4th - Nottingham, Bodega
- 5th - Bristol, Rough Trade
- 6th - London, The Grace
- 8th - Cologne, Artheater
- 9th - Amsterdam, Paradiso
- 10th - Hamburg, Molotow Club
- 11th - Copenhagen, Beta
- 13th - Berlin, Badehaus Szimpla
- 14th - Warsaw, Hydrozagadka
- 15th - Prague, Cafe V Lese
- 16th - Munich, Strom
- 18th - Vienna, Chelsea
- 20th - Frankfurt, Nachtleben
- 21st - Rouen, Fury Defendu
- 22nd - Paris, Le Chinois
- 23rd - Nantes, Le Ferrailleur
- 24th - Barcelona, Wolf
- 25th - Madrid, Sala Sol
