Broken Social Scene – Not Around Anymore
Broken Social Scene return with “Not Around Anymore,” the opening track from Remember the Humans, their first album in nine years. It’s out May 8 via City Slang (UK/Europe) and Arts & Crafts (North America).
The track reunites the Toronto collective with producer David Newfeld, who worked on their breakthrough You Forgot It in People (2002) and their 2005 self-titled album. Newfeld hadn’t worked with the band in two decades. Both he and Kevin Drew lost their mothers during the recording sessions. “Our moms would have wanted us to do this, and get it right after 20 years of not working together,” Newfeld said.
Musically, “Not Around Anymore” sits in that familiar Broken Social Scene space—horns, guitars, and voices building into something warm and dense. Drew sings about disappearing possibility: “There’s no need to hide here anymore / there’s no need to try here anymore / there’s no need to lie here anymore / ’cause it’s all gone away / I guess it’s called the times.” It’s nostalgic, but not defeated. The instrumentation keeps things grounded even when the lyrics drift toward loss.
Credits include Drew on vocals, bass synth, and drum programming, Charles Spearin on basses, Justin Peroff on drums, Newfeld on electric guitar and synths, and contributions from Jill Harris, Dan Bone, Evan Cranley, Daniel Ledwell, and Rachel McLean. The album features Hannah Georgas, Lisa Lobsinger, and Feist.
Spearin describes Newfeld’s approach: “His production suits the chaos of our songwriting so well. He’s got a childlike energy that is really contagious.” On the album’s themes, he adds, “There’s a different kind of honesty in this record. We’ve had success, we’ve lost friends, we’ve lost parents, we’re at this ‘what happens next?’ stage in life.”
Drew connects it to something broader: “In 2026, you’re going to see a lot of resurgence of people going back to the roots of who they are, because things in their lifetime have gotten quite lost. I think we’ve let each other down, and I think it’s art that always tries to prevail and get us back on track.”
The band’s hitting the road with Metric and Stars for the All the Feelings Tour, starting June 8 in Austin and wrapping August 7 in Toronto. It’s a reunion of Canadian indie artists who’ve been collaborating since the early 2000s.
Tracklist:
- Not Around Anymore
- Only the Good I Keep
- Mission Accomplished (Kingfisher)
- The Call
- Relief
- And I Think of You
- This Briefest Kiss
- Life Within the Ground
- Hey Amanda
- Paying for Your Love
- What Happens Now
- Parking Lot Dreams
North American Tour Dates:
- June 8 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
- June 9 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
- June 11 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
- June 13 – Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater
- June 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
- June 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
- June 19 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
- June 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
- June 24 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
- July 24 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
- July 25 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
- July 27 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
- July 28 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met
- July 30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
- August 1 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
- August 3 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
- August 4 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
- August 7 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
