Originating in Glasgow in 1977, Simple Minds has spent almost five decades with two enduring figures at the helm: lead vocalist Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill. They sit among the acts I’ve highlighted in both of my columns, The Number Ones and The Alternative Number Ones, and they’re still actively making music.
With a joint memoir titled Our Secrets Are The Same set to hit shelves next week, the band also signals new material on the horizon. Early next year they plan to follow up 2022’s Direction Of The Heart with a fresh album, Sacrosanct. Kerr explains that the brooding lead single “Beginner Boys” takes aim at watching his grandsons grow, exploring how strength, tenderness, courage, and gentleness can coexist, even when the broader culture around them projects mixed signals. It isn’t so much a manifesto as a question he hopes they’ll spend their lives answering for themselves. It’s a neat sentiment—a reminder that songs about grandchildren deserve a place in music. See more below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Elysium”
02 “King Of The Underworld”
03 “Beginner Boys”
04 “Jerusalem (State Of Mind)”
05 “Our Secrets Are The Same”
06 “Songs”
07 “Alive In This Moment”
08 “The Next Right Thing”
Sacrosanct is due on 1/29 via BMG. Pre-order it here.
