Arab Strap announce new album ‘Half-Told Tales’, examine “troubles and tumultuous times” on “disco-metal” single ‘You You You’

Arab Strap have announced a new album, ‘Half-Told Tales’ and dropped the “disco-metal” lead single, ‘You You You’. Check it out below.

The new record is set for release on September 4 via Rock Action Records, and arrives nearly three decades to the day since the duo dropped their first single.

A first preview of the new album arrives today (Wednesday May 20) in the form of ‘You You You’ – a track that Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton describe as having a “disco-metal” sound and lyrics that explore overcoming “troubles and tumultuous times”.

Emerging with a pulsating beat, the single blends together moments of electronica, an infectious melody, swirling guitars and the effortlessly cool vocals of Moffat.

“I’ve got a hole in my shoe that lets in rain/ and another new lump in another vein/ I’ve got pills for breakfast every day/ to keep my pains and fears at bay,” he sings in the retro-sounding opening verse, leading up to the hypnotic chorus.

“I’ve got a portly paunch I just can’t shift/I feel undesired, dismissed, adrift/ My get-up-and-go is long gone/ and the days keep dragging on/ But I’ve got you, you, you, you.”

“We’re 30 years old this year, so we decided to celebrate by doing what we enjoy most: by making new music,” the duo shared, describing the song as a “disco-metal incantation” that carries the message of “future felicity and fellowship that – fingers crossed – might make you dance and giggle too.”

Of the lyrics, Moffat said: “‘You You You’ is an attempt to remind ourselves, and hopefully others, that the world’s not full of awful people. That there are millions of us out there dealing with the same worries every day: from the rising costs of absolutely everything, our mental and physical health, the constant slaughter and tyranny in our newsfeeds, to playing an unwitting part in the military-industrial complex, and the endless warping of reality.

“It can often feel like a complete absence of human decency – it’s no wonder that despondency can feel like our default disposition.”

The themes in the song and the push-pull dynamic it has throughout are reminiscent of what can be found in the full album – where fluid, grooving beats balance alongside punchy guitars.

“The excitement comes because me and Aidan like and hate different things,” Middleton explained. “There are things in the record that individually we might not choose but that’s why I like this album so much, because it’s not the one I wanted to make.

“I don’t think it’s what Aidan wanted to make either, it’s this bit in the middle. It might not be 100 per cent what we want but it’s good for the band, and it works.” Visit here to pre-order the record.

As well as announcing new music, Arab Strap have also confirmed a UK and European tour, set to kick off later this year with a show in Dublin on October 12.

From there, five UK shows are lined-up, taking place in Manchester, London, Leeds, Stockton and Glasgow throughout the rest of the month, before European shows kick off in Prague on November 22.

Visit here for tickets.

Arab Strap 2026 tour dates are:

OCTOBER
12 – Whelan’s, Dublin IE
12 – Band on the Wall, Manchester UK
14 – Heaven, London UK
15 – Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds UK
16 – Georgian Theatre, Stockton UK
17 – Barrowland, Glasgow UK

NOVEMBER
22 – MeetFactory, Prague CZ
23 – a83, Budapest HU
24 – Vintage Industrial Bar, Zagreb HR
25 – Zappa Bazza, Belgrade RS
26 – Control Club, Bucharest RO
27 – Zorlu, Istanbul TR
28 – Eightball Club, Thessaloniki GR
29 – Gazarta Soundstage, Athens GR

DECEMBER
13 – Parma Barezzi Festival, Parma IT

The new music from Arab Strap is their first since they dropped the album ‘I’m totally fine with it 👍 don’t give a fuck anymore 👍’ in 2024.

The title of that record came from a text sent to the band by their live drummer, and that was their first album since the duo returned in 2021 after 16 years away with comeback album ‘As Days Get Dark’ – which went on to be nominated for the SAY (Scottish Album Of The Year) Award.