Tom Chaplin, frontman for the band Keane, announced yesterday that he will be releasing a new solo album called Midpoint. It will be released on September 2nd, his first on BMG. The album was produced by Ethan Johns, and contains 13 brand new songs. I liked his last solo album so I’ll be curious how this sounds as well. You can watch the music video for the title track below.

Tom began writing these new songs two years ago when Keane’s 2019 Cause and Effect tour was interrupted by the pandemic. The songs, all founded on reflection and imagination, were recorded in six weeks at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in Bath and Paul Epworth’s The Church in North London.

While the songs share an emotional warmth first exhibited on Tom’s debut 2016 solo album The Wave, sonically this new music is a revelation.

“I was like, wow, these are bare compared to what I’m used to,” Tom admits. “And it did find it frightening because with Keane records there’s so much layering to thicken things up and fill up the spaces. But this is a sparse record.”

And all the better for it, letting the language and vocals reach gorgeous new heights. It’s wistful and reflective and totally engaging.

Coming as Tom enters mid-life, Midpoint is like nothing else. “There’s space for something nuanced that explores a part of life that everyone goes through,” Tom says. “If I can get some of that across and it can resonate with something people are feeling in in their lives-well, I’d be more than happy with that.”

Track Listing for Midpoint:

All Fall Down
Rise and Fall
Black Hole
Stars Align
Colourful Light
Gonna Run
It’s Over
Midpoint
Panoramic Eyes
Gravitational
New Flowers
Cameo
Overshoot

Tom and his band will tour the UK this autumn starting October 6th at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall and finishing up at the London Palladium October 22nd. Tickets go on sale July 15th.

Tom will play the following UK dates:

October

Thu 06 LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall

Fri 07 SOUTHEND, Cliffs Pavilion

Sat 08 CAMBRIDGE, Corn Exchange

Mon 10 MANCHESTER, Albert Hall

Tue 11 YORK, Barbican

Thu 13 NEWCASTLE, Gateshead Sage

Fri 14 GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall

Sun 16 LIVERPOOL, Philharmonic

Mon 17 CARDIFF, St David’s Hall

Tue 18 BATH, Forum

Thu 20 EASTBOURNE, Congress Theatre

Fri 21 BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall

Sat 22 LONDON, Palladium