Aldous Harding – Coats

We covered One Stop (W10) when Aldous Harding first announced Train on the Island, and Elitest G.O.A.T. (W03) before that, her collaboration with Sleaford Mods. “Coats” is the album’s closing track and final single, out the same week as the record itself on 4AD.

The production setup is the same as it’s been throughout: co-produced with John Parish at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, with pedal steel from Joe Harvey-Whyte, harp from Mali Llewelyn, synth from Thomas Poli, Sebastian Rochford on drums, and Huw Evans (H. Hawkline) across bass, vocals, acoustic and electric guitar and organ. Parish and Harding have made every album together in that room since Party (2017), and the familiarity shows in how little the arrangements need to strain for effect.

“Coats” is described as moving between disarming directness and surreal whimsy, which is about as accurate a summary of where Harding tends to operate as you’ll find. The album closer position suits it: not a conclusion exactly, more a slow exhale. What I find interesting about this campaign is the deliberateness of the sequencing: “One Stop” announced the record with queasy piano and slipping time signatures, “Venus In The Zinnea” brought in Evans, and “Coats” pulls back to something quieter and stranger as the final word before the album lands. She’s been doing this long enough to know which song to save for last.

Train on the Island is out now via 4AD, and it’s been one of the most anticipated records of the year. We’ll be covering it in full as part of the May Album Spotlight. The tour is underway, with London Barbican dates sold out and European, US, and newly announced Australian and New Zealand dates through November.

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Tour Dates:

Europe:

• May 25 – Brighton, UK @ The Dome ^
• May 26 – Southampton, UK @ 1865 ^
• May 27 – Cambridge, UK @ Junction 1 ^
• May 29 – London, UK @ Barbican ^ SOLD OUT
• May 30 – London, UK @ Barbican ^ SOLD OUT
• May 31 – London, UK @ Barbican ^
• June 2 – Bristol, UK @ Beacon ^
• June 3 – Glasgow, UK @ Kelvingrove Bandstand ^
• June 5 – Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street ^
• June 7 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre ^ SOLD OUT
• June 8 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall ^
• June 9 – Birmingham, UK @ Town Hall ^
• June 11 – Rouen, France @ Festival Rush / Le 106 ^
• June 12 – Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel ^
• June 13 – Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands @ Best Kept Secret Festival
• June 15 – Oslo, Norway @ Konserthus ^
• June 16 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Slaktkyrkan ^
• June 17 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega ^
• June 19 – Hamburg, Germany @ Große Freiheit 36 ^
• June 21 – Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys ^
• June 22 – Prague, Czechia @ Roxy ^
• June 23 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena ^
• June 25 – Budapest, Hungary @ Dürer Kert Main Hall ^
• June 26 – Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Kino Siska ^
• June 28 – Milan, Italy @ Magnolia ^
• June 29 – Bologna, Italy @ Locomotiv Club ^
• June 30 – Rome, Italy @ Monk ^
• July 2 – Nimes, France @ Paloma
• July 4 – Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain @ Vida Festival
• July 5 – Montreux, Switzerland @ Montreux Jazz Festival
• July 6 – Munich, Germany @ Muffathalle
• July 9–11 – Trenčín, Slovakia @ Pohoda Festival
• July 11 – Bruges, Belgium @ Cactus Festival
• July 12 – Cologne, Germany @ Even Flow Festival
• Aug 12–15 – Paredes de Coura, Portugal @ Paredes de Coura Festival
• Aug 20–23 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival SOLD OUT

North America:

• Sept 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts %
• Sept 11 – Washington, DC @ The Howard %
• Sept 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel %
• Sept 14 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair %
• Sept 15 – Montreal, QC @ Le National %
• Sept 16 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall %
• Sept 18 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall %
• Sept 19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center SOLD OUT %
• Sept 21 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre %
• Sept 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room %
• Sept 24 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall %
• Sept 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre SOLD OUT %
• Sept 26 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre %
• Sept 28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Castro Theatre %
• Sept 29 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theater %
• Sept 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Pacific Electric %
• Oct 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Pacific Electric %

Oceania:

• Nov 18 – Melbourne, AU @ Forum
• Nov 19 – Hobart, AU @ Odeon Theatre
• Nov 22 – Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
• Nov 23 – Brisbane, AU @ The Princess Theatre
• Nov 25 – Hamilton, NZ @ BNZ Theatre
• Nov 27 – Christchurch, NZ @ Christchurch Town Hall
• Nov 28 – Auckland, NZ @ Te Paepae Theatre
• Nov 29 – Wellington, NZ @ Michael Fowler Centre

^ support by Vera Ellen