Something wicked this way comes. At the close of October 2022, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds returned with ‘Pretty Boy’. Marking a departure from the Ennio Morricone leanings of his early material, this single is much darker than anything else in his repertoire, with a distinctly gothic and post-punk edge, no doubt helped by guest guitarist Johnny Marr.
Earlier in the year, Gallagher claimed that the new record has a largely “orchestral” sound, but on the first single, this was not the case. Then, in a November interview with an Italian radio station (via Contactmusic), Gallagher spoke about his beloved football team, Manchester City FC, and revealed that the album is coming out in May, but it’s yet to be confirmed. He said: “The team is doing good, we’re having a good season. Hopefully, we will be in Istanbul [for the Champions League final] around when my new album is out next May, so that would be good”.
Noel Gallagher was the main songwriter, lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of Oasis, one of the biggest and most loved bands ever to emerge from the UK. His band played a tremendous role in shaping and inspiring contemporary guitar music from the 1990’s onwards. Noel’s continued success with the High Flying Birds cements his position as one of the most prolific and successful British songwriters of the last 50 years.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds first emerged in 2011 with their eponymous album released in October of that year. The album went double platinum in the UK and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. The release of the debut album was supported by a touring schedule covering 150 live shows in 32 countries. This was followed by ‘Chasing Yesterday’, released in March 2015 – the first album to be produced as well as written by Noel, with 122 further shows in 28 countries. A third album, ‘Who Built The Moon?’, was recorded in sessions spanning 2 years with renowned producer and composer David Holmes in Belfast and London released in November 2017. There followed a series of multi-genre EPs released over the course of 2019 and 2020, all receiving high critical acclaim.
June 2021 saw the release of ‘Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021)’ – a Best Of celebrating a decade of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. This was the bands 4th consecutive Number 1 album and the 12th Number 1 album across Noel’s career. 2021 also saw Noel named as Record Store Day’s official ambassador.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds played Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage in June 2022, delivering a career-spanning set to one of the weekend’s biggest crowds. The show was the culmination of a summer of acclaimed sold-out outdoor venues across the UK. Fast forward to 2023 and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are looking ahead to their much anticipated fourth studio album, ‘Council Skies’, due for release 2nd June. From the evocative album title to the cover art, to the lyrics themselves, ‘Council Skies’ sees Noel Gallagher bringing a more personal perspective, reclaiming his past and paying homage to his Mancunian roots. His most varied and accomplished solo record to date, Noel’s new album is a record framed by confidence, risk-taking, surefooted creative freedom, and great emotional depth.
Brand new single ‘Council Skies’ taken from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ 4th studio album of the same name, out June 2nd!
The accompanying official video was filmed in Noel’s native Manchester and includes a performance shot at the historic New Century Hall.
Brand new single – ‘Pretty Boy’ – the first to be revealed from Noel’s forthcoming new studio album. The band are heading out on an extensive tour covering the UK, US and Europe from June 2023.
The dates will be a great opportunity to hear the new music live for the first time, alongside Oasis and High Flying Birds classics
The first singles taken from the album – ‘Pretty Boy’ and ‘Easy Now’ – were met with a hail of critical and commercial success by fans and media alike. ‘Pretty Boy’ has also been remixed by The Cure’s Robert Smith, taking the track to a new spaced-out dimension..
The Fat Angel Sings 