Building on the haunting beauty of his 2020 debut album Chants From Another Place, Swedish songwriter Jonathan Hultén returns with news of a new album, Eyes Of The Living Night, set for release on 31st January 2025 via Kscope.
Word has it that “Jonathan has created an album that shimmers, taking listeners through the decades of rock, synth-pop, blues and folk on a journey best described as ambient dream-grunge.”
The first single from the new album is titled ‘Afterlife’ and is out now with a music video filmed at Westlanda Flygplats by Jakob Johansson of @kollurudproductions. Speaking about the single and video, Hultén said “In ‘Afterlife’, your soul is pulled into the underworld, thrust into a labyrinth with no option but to navigate its cold corridors. Haunted by its ghostly inhabitant intent on draining your life energy, you must press forward.”
“While going through this trial, you also discover hidden treasures along the way – Important emotions and insights – that help guide you on your path through the seemingly endless night. When you finally reach the burning candle at the heart of the labyrinth, you realize that all along you were on a quest to find all those hidden treasures, and that they actually were things you had once lost – namely, parts of yourself.”
The single is available digitally and you can check out the video here at RAMzine.
Recorded at Stockholm’s Chanting Studios and co-produced with Ola Ersfjord (Lady Blackbird, Tribulation, Monolord), the new album Eyes Of The Living Night is said to be “a remarkable showcase of Hultén’s distinctive blend of folk, rock and pop”, drawing influence from the likes of Bert Jansch, John Martyn and Nick Drake as well as contemporaries such as Anna Ternheim, Chelsea Wolfe and Hexvessel.
Tracks featured are: ‘The Saga And The Storm’, ‘Afterlife’, ‘Falling Mirage’, ‘Riverflame’, ‘The Dream Was The Cure’, ‘Song Of Transience’, ‘Through The Fog, Into The Sky’, ‘Dawn’, ‘Vast Tapestry’, ‘ The Ocean’s Arms’, ‘A Path Is Found’ and ‘Starbather’.
Eyes Of The Living Night will be available as a pearl blue vinyl lLP, classic black vinyl LP, CD and digitally. The album can be ordered here.
To support the release Jonathan will be touring the UK from next week as support for The Cult (Tickets available here). He has also announced a run of US shows in 2025 supporting Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats (Tickets available here) and will also be performing at France’s LUX Festival in Montpellier on 12th November (click here).
THE CULT & JONATHAN HULTÉN UK TOUR DATES
21.10. Leicester, De Montfort
22.10. Swansea, Swansea Arena
24.10. Edinburgh, Usher Hall
25.10. Manchester, O2 Apollo
27.10. Bristol, Bristol Beacon
29.10. York, Barbican
30.10. Newcastle, O2 City Hall
01.11. Portsmouth, Guildhall
02.11. Wolverhampton Civic at The Halls
04.11. Royal Albert Hall
05.11. Roundhouse
