Beth Ditto fronted indie group Gossip announce reunion and new music

Beth Ditto-fronted indie band Gossip have announced they are reuniting for their first new music in 11 years.

The pop-rock trio, formed of vocalist Ditto, 42, guitarist Nathan “Brace Paine” Howdeshell and drummer Hannah Blilie, will release their new album Real Power on March 22 2024.

The first single from the record, Crazy Again, was released on Friday, and Ditto says it is about “being in love and feeling so safe”.

The group have worked with Grammy-award winning producer Rick Rubin, who helmed the band’s 2009 album Music For Men.

The 11-track album was recorded at Rubin’s home studio in Kauai, Hawaii, and the process was temporarily halted by the pandemic, resuming when restrictions lifted.

Speaking about their return, Ditto said: “When we began, so much about Gossip was about running away — that was always in the music.”

She added: “We survived. We came from nothing, and we got the f*** out of there.

“And to be here 20 years later and still making music together is just incredible.”

The music video for Crazy Again, which premieres at 9am on Friday, was shot in Kansas City in the US.

It has seen Gossip collaborate with director and audio-visual artist Ssion, who directed their 2010 Men In Love music video.

The band’s music has commonly explored themes of culture, gender and sexuality.

The title track of their noughties studio album Standing In The Way Of Control was a queer anthem written in response to the Federal Marriage Amendment, a subsequently-defeated proposal by the George W Bush administration in the US preventing states from recognising same-sex marriages.

In 2019 the group completed a tour for the 10-year anniversary of Music For Men with dates in London and Manchester, among others.

The group released their last album A Joyful Noise in 2012 and will be releasing Real Power more than 12 years on – in March 2024, via Sony Music Entertainment.

Published: 17/11/2023 by Radio NewsHub