Gilding the Lily

Following a career that has quietly established them as one of Britain’s most consistently acclaimed independent guitar bands, London quartet Desperate Journalist return with their highly anticipated new album, 'Gilding the Lily'.

Across five critically celebrated studio albums, Desperate Journalist have earned a devoted following through their distinctive blend of shimmering indie rock, post-punk intensity and soaring, emotionally resonant songwriting. Their previous releases have drawn comparisons with artists such as The Cure, The Smiths and The Chameleons while carving out a sound that remains unmistakably their own.
 
With their sixth studio album Gilding the Lily, the band continues the evolution that has made them one of the UK’s most respected alternative acts, far from taking their foot off the presidential gas, it catches Desperate Journalist in caustically creative mode, pushing on with their fizzing formula of powering guitar and glowering words, as you may expect from a band whose feverish credibility has led to a (sub)stack of adoring press and a litany of shows with the likes of Suede, The Chameleons, Wedding Present and Slow Readers Club, as well as panda labelmates Ash and Rialto. Fronted by the unmistakable voice of Jo Bevan, powered by Rob Hardy’s instantly recognisable guitar work and the tightly locked rhythm section made up of Simon Drowner and Caz Helbert the album showcases the confidence and maturity of a band operating at the height of their creative powers.  

Released: November 2026
Cat: NONG153
Label: Fierce Panda

Listen

Tracklist

1. Empire
2. Melancholia
3. Terrible Years
4. Landfill
5. Wings
6. 20th Century Women
7. Serious, Unimportant
8. Passage
9. Ink
10. Dust
11. Always
12. White Enamel