Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have released “Frogs,” the second offering from their highly anticipated upcoming album Wild God, out August 30th.
The journey to creating Wild God began with sweeping epic “Frogs.” The first lines Cave penned for the album were powerfully evocative, referencing the first murder in the Bible, Cain’s slaying of Abel. He wrote, “Ushering in the week he knelt down and crushed his brother’s head in with a bone/It’s my great privilege to walk you home.” This striking couplet became the opening lines to the song, and set the tone for the imagery and themes that followed.
Cave says, “The sheer exuberance of a song like “Frogs,” it just puts a big fucking smile on my face.”
Across ten tracks, the band dance between convention and experimentation, taking left-turns and detours that heighten the rich imagery and emotion in Cave’s soul-stirring narratives. It is the sound of a group emboldened by reconnection and taking flight. There are moments that touch fondly upon the Bad Seeds’ past but they are fleeting, and serve only to imbue the relentless and restless forward motion of the band.
Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, and mixed by David Fridmann, Cave began writing the album on New Year’s Day 2023. With sessions at Miraval Studios in Provence, France and Soundtree Studios in London, England, the Bad Seeds added their unique alchemy, with additional performances from Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau(nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar).
“Wild God…there’s no fucking around with this record. When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it.” – Nick Cave.
Wild God will be released on Bad Seed in partnership with Play It Again Sam on streaming, CD, and standard and limited edition vinyl. This is the first album from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds since 2019’s internationally lauded Ghosteen.