Delights

(23rd July) Flying the flag for Manchester's indie resurgence, Delights today announce their debut album 'If Heaven Looks A Little Like This' - out 27th September on Modern Sky. To mark the announcement Delights today release the album's scintillating second single "I Think You Should Know".

Having recently unveiled details of a landmark headline date at Manchester's iconic 1300 capacity New Century Hall, Delights today announce a full autumn headline tour to coincide with the new album release, with further dates in Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and London.

Prowling and slinky, strutting through smooth falsetto vocals and an alluring bassline that combine the disparate worlds of Metronomy and 10cc – new single "I Think You Should Know" is further, undeniable proof that Delights are operating on a thrilling creative level.

On the track's lyrical inspiration, the band shared:

"Lyrically, the song centres around ideas of curiosity, innocence and mystique. It also underlines the explorative nature of where we are as a band, from a writing perspective, but from a personal perspective too."

The announcement of 'If Heaven Looks A Little Like This' follow the release of "Two Times Over", the album's riveting first taste which - since its release in May - has received glowing radio airplay from BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, Radio X (John Kennedy) and BBC Introducing Manchester.  

On debut album 'If Heaven Looks A Little Like This', produced by Michael Smith (Wolf Alice), Delights are stepping into an electrifying new world of sound. “When we started out, we were just a typical indie band,” guitarist Ben Squires says. “We’ve tried to break away from that a little bit to not just be straight indie.”

Their first full-length record introduces a wider sonic palette that reflects their collective tastes through an appreciation of legacy and their hometown forebears, with vibrant nods to funk, soul, disco, psychedelia, classic rock, and stadium-sized indie-pop. “This is the only moment you have your debut album,” reasons drummer Leo Willis. “So [you can] step outside your comfort zone and experiment.”

Decamping to a house in France to build the initial framework for their debut full length, for 10 straight days the band worked from 11am until 4am, pressing record when they woke up and not hitting stop until they went to sleep. This time away from the noise of their daily lives ultimately allowed Delights to make the album mirror the live experience, bringing the energy of all five of the band playing together as one.

The band would then go on to finish the record at Oxford’s Woodworm Studios, where they worked with Michael Smith. “When we got to the studio, we were really conscious about making the most of the time we had there,” vocalist Maxwell explains. “So being able to hash out everything before we got there, but leaving room to experiment in the studio, was massive.” 

That spirit of togetherness and unity fuels this album, both in the sounds they’ve created and the record’s broad themes. Although there are subplots of love and relationships dotted through it, at its heart, this is a record dedicated to the experience of being in a band. “I was quite conscious that, if we want it to stand our own test of time, I want to know where I was and where we were as a collective,” says Maxwell, the band’s chief lyricist. “So lyrically, it’s trying to explain that story of us doing this and having fun, but where we are right now – skint, working hard, trying to be in a band and do cool things that playing will allow us to do.” 

Delights released their debut EP 'In My Life' in 2021, followed by 2022's mini-album 'Cool Sports' - interspersed with a string of buoyant single releases. During those formative years, Delights saw their stocks unwaveringly rise. Described by The Line of Best Fit as "finely-crafted next-gen indie" with the arrival of 'Cool Sports' in 2022, since then the band have embarked on numerous successful UK headline tours, sold out shows at London's MOTH Club and Manchester venue Canvas, received keen radio support from BBC 6 Music and BBC Introducing in Manchester and have amassed over 5 million streams for their releases to date.

Delights' debut album 'If Heaven Looks A Little Like This' is out 27th September on Modern Sky. New single "I Think You Should Know" is out. Delights will tour the album this autumn, tickets here.

Delights are: Adam Maxwell (vocals), Ben Kirkland (bass), Ben Squires (guitar), Leo Willis (drums) and Cameron Stephenson (percussion).