Mogwai’s eleventh studio album, The Bad Fire, is officially slated for release on January 24, 2025, with pre-orders available in various exclusive formats.
The album title, referencing the Glaswegian working-class term for “hell,” reflects a period of hardship and loss that deeply influenced the band during the recording process.
Following their acclaimed 2021 release, As the Love Continues, Mogwai’s journey towards The Bad Fire was marked by personal challenges, including the serious illness of Barry Burns’ daughter, which shaped the tone and intensity of their latest work.
Burns shared, “After the high of putting out As The Love Continues, the following years were personally hard for us… Getting back together to write and record this record felt like a refuge.”
The album features three singles, each showcasing a collaboration with American producer John Congleton, recognized for his work with artists such as Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Rós, and John Grant.
The physical editions of The Bad Fire come in several formats tailored for collectors. The deluxe box set includes three LPs—two on opaque green vinyl and a black vinyl LP of demo tracks, presented in a case-wrapped box with a full-color gatefold jacket, a 12-page photo booklet, a collectible sticker, and an included CD.
Another exclusive format is the 2xLP opaque red vinyl, limited to 1,000 copies, encased in a full-color gatefold jacket. Each format is restricted to two copies per customer, emphasizing its collectible nature.
Mogwai’s tour for The Bad Fire kicks off in Europe in early 2025, with dates in cities across the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK, culminating in a series of North American shows starting in April. Stops include Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and cities in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Visuals for the single “Lion Rumpus” were crafted by director Antony Crook, a long-time Mogwai collaborator and director of Mogwai: If The Stars Had A Sound. The video follows Lawrence “Larry” Wilson, a Glasgow native-turned-New York dog walker, on an immersive journey through Manhattan.
The complete tracklist for The Bad Fire is as follows:
God Gets You Back
Hi Chaos
What Kind of Mix Is This?
Fanzine Made Of Flesh
Pale Vegan Hip Pain
If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some Of The Others
18 Volcanoes
Hammer Room
Lion Rumpus
Fact Boy
TOUR DATES:
Feb 4 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Feb 6 – Hamburg, DE @ Große Freiheit 36
Feb 7 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega
Feb 8 – Stockholm, SE @ Fållan
Feb 9 – Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
Feb 11 – Berlin, DE @ Admiralspalast
Feb 12 – Leipzig, DE @ Taubchenthal
Feb 14 – Maastricht, NL @ Muziekgieterij
Feb 15 – Groningen, NL @ De Oosterpoort
Feb 17 – Brussels, BE @ Ancienne Belgique
Feb 18 – Antwerp, BE @ De Roma
Feb 19 – Paris, FR @ Casino De Paris
Feb 20 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
Feb 22 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
Feb 23 – Edinburgh, SC @ Usher Hall
Mar 8 – Bangkok, TH @ Voice Space
Mar 11 – Osaka, JP @ Gorilla Hall
Mar 12 – Tokyo, JP @ Zepp Shinjuku
Mar 14 – Taipei, TW @ Zepp New Taipei
Apr 7 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Apr 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts
Apr 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Apr 11 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Apr 13 – Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre
Apr 14 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Apr 16 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
Apr 17 – Chicago, IL @ The Metro
Apr 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
Apr 20 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Apr 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Commonwealth Room
Apr 24 – Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom
Apr 25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Apr 26 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
Apr 28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Apr 29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Apr 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
May 3 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
May 4 – Dallas, TX @ The Echo Lounge
