Rock duo the Kills have ended a five-year break from releasing new music with the arrival today (July 25) of two singles, “New York” and “LA Hex.” Both tracks are accompanied by videos directed by artist/filmmaker Andrew Theodore Balasia and are available as a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single through Domino Records.
The Kills will launch the singles with parties on Thursday at photographer Steven Sebring’s New York studio and Aug. 3 at Los Angeles’ Viper Room, which is set to close imminently. Mosshart and Hince will DJ a separate private party after the latter event, and autographed and limited-edition merchandise will be available in both New York and L.A.
Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince’s last new release was a 2018 single with covers of Saul Williams’ “List of Demands (Reparations)” and Peter Tosh’s “Steppin’ Razor.” The group hasn’t brought forth an album since 2016’s Ash & Ice, which reached a career-best No. 18 on the Official U.K. Album Chart. More recently, the Kills reissued their 2005 album No Wow last year, and oversaw the rarities collection Little Bastards in 2020.
In an interview with SPIN last year, the group said it was at work on the follow-up to Ash & Ice with Grammy-winning producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Paul McCartney) and had already recorded some new music with Beck, including the song “Bullet Sound.” In an amusing twist, Epworth served as the Kills’ soundperson during their ragtag first tour in 2002-2003.
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“We literally would drive around in an old van that would break down and he’d be carrying the gear with us,” Hince said of Epworth, adding that he had high hopes for the upcoming collaboration. “It’d be great to have somebody that’s really got chops now for some modern music, but that knew our band at the beginning.”
