UKNY for February 2

The last studio release from Black Country, New Road, 2022's Ants from Up There, came just after the band's then-vocalist Isaac Wood chose to depart the Mercury Prize-nominated band, a frustrating setback. The remaining six members — Georgia Ellery, Lewis Evans, Tyler Hyde, May Kershaw, Luke Mark and Charlie Wayne — took a deep breath, rallied, and redesigned how they'd proceed, and in 2023 released a concert recording, Live at Bush Hall, documenting of two shows they played before Christmas in December 2022 with nothing but new songs (but not something they consider an official third album). Notably, this version of Black Country, New Road sounded even stronger as a unit, as forever friends are apt to do.

Black Country, New Road has been touring since that time (including a tour with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds), working on a catalogue of nothing but new songs that represents a band that's grown even richer and more compelling now, with vocals now led by Ellery, Evans, Hyde and Kershaw. And on the 4th of April, they will release their official third album, Forever Howlong, produced by James Ford. On "UKNY" tonight at 11 p.m., the first single from that much-anticipated record and reset.

Also in tonight's hour, gliding from Glasgow's dreamy Beautiful Cosmos to the grinding fury of Belfast's Chalk, plus London-born, Nottingham-based Yazmin Lacey, Edinburgh's swim school, Leeds' Emma-Jean Thackray, and London's Moreish Idols, who release their debut album at last, All in the Game, on March 7.

And a song from the remarkable Marianne Faithfull who died on Thursday; her imprint of ferocious artistry and survival was incomparable.

That's "UKNY," Sundays from 11 p.m.-midnight, on 90.7FM, streaming online and in the Archives after broadcast.