GRINSPOON are hitting the road again, but for the first time in 12 years they will be armed with new material.
The Just Ace and Chemical Hearts alt-rockers release the new single Unknown Pretenders on Monday, which will be followed by their eighth album Whatever, Whatever on August 9. Their first album since Black Rabbits in 2012 was produced by Holy Holy guitarist Oscar Dawson.
"Unknown Pretenders was written in the dawning of the pandemic in a small studio in Adelaide in February 2020, with a number of other tunes as well," Grinspoon frontman Phil Jamieson said.
"It's a magical riffy song about the end of the world and who will actually survive."
To celebrate the release Grinspoon have announced a 49-date Whatever, Whenever, Wherever Tour that will visit the University of Newcastle's Bar On The Hill on October 29.
The tour will also pass through regional areas that don't usually feature on major band itineraries like Ballina RSL (September 17), Sawtell RSL (October 25), West Tamworth Leagues Club (October 26), Finnian's Tavern in Port Macquarie (October 27) and Drifters Wharf in Gosford (October 30).
"This thing ain't for the faint-hearted, we're really trying to get to as many places as possible, it kind of harks back to the olden days of touring; four guys in a van with some guitars," Jamieson said.
"With the release of new music we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see Grinners, and we're going back to some venues we haven't played in 20 years."
Newcastle has been a town that Grinspoon have regularly performed at in recent years.
In 2017 the Cambridge Hotel and NEX hosted sold-out shows on the 20-year anniversary of Grinspoon's breakthrough debut album Guide To Better Living and then in 2019 they performed at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre for their Chemical Hearts greatest hits tour.
But their most famous show was when they played the closing set at the Cambridge Hotel's three-day Farewell Festival last June.
An emotional Jamieson told the 3500 punters that, "I'm just so grateful to live in the time that the Cambridge was around in this great f--king rock'n'roll city of Newcastle".
"It's testament to the fact that over the last three days there's been so many great bands here and we're so honoured to play tonight."
Tickets to the Whatever, Whenever, Wherever Tour go on sale at 9am on May 27.
