Black Country, New Road, a wide-ranging post-punk ensemble, fuse elements of jazz, math rock, and klezmer into extended pieces that move between restrained passages and surges of sharp-edged force. Their first release, the Mercury Prize-nominated For the First Time, arrived in 2021 and was swiftly followed by Ants from Up There the next year. Following the exit of founding vocalist Isaac Wood, vocal responsibilities were divided among three remaining members, resulting in the 2023 appearance of Live at Bush Hall, a concert document and film of entirely fresh compositions.
The group coalesced after the dissolution of Nervous Conditions and consists of Lewis Evans on saxophone, May Kershaw on keyboard, Charlie Wayne on drums, Luke Mark on guitar, Isaac Wood handling vocals and guitar, Tyler Hyde on bass, and Georgia Ellery on violin. Early performances at Brixton’s Windmill helped sharpen their approach, and their explosive stage presence, together with the 2019 singles “Sunglasses” and “Athens, France,” created substantial anticipation ahead of the debut album. For the First Time earned a nomination for the 2021 Mercury Music Award and reached number four on the U.K. album chart. With live activity suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band resumed work in the studio alongside longtime collaborator Sergio Maschetzko. The sessions produced Ants from Up There, issued in February 2022 only days after Wood’s abrupt departure; although the record received broad praise, the remaining members chose not to play any of its songs without him. Hyde, Kershaw, and Evans assumed lead vocal roles, setting aside earlier material in favor of a completely new repertoire suited to the revised lineup. Captured across two nights at London’s Bush Hall, these songs formed the basis of both a concert film and the album Live at Bush Hall, which surfaced in early 2023.
