hard life unveils new single and video ‘y3llow bike’, which is available now. It’s the latest layer of new album onion, which will be released on July 18th and has been teased by brooding first single ‘othello’, plus the memorable, Shrek-inspired album track ‘OGRE’. Having made their long-awaited live return at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend – after two years of being unable to play – hard life’s UK headline tour is on sale now for October, including a return to London’s O2 Academy Brixton.
Charismatic but conflicted, ‘y3llow bike’ details the cycles of a crush: as Murray puts it, “the classic story of falling for a friend. There’s that constant tug-of-war between wanting to protect the friendship and dealing with the fragile ego that fears rejection.” The track’s loose flow and surreal, pitched-up vocals – which hard life first experimented with on ‘BEESWAX’ – is partnered with another standout video filmed during Murray’s time in Japan, where onion first grew roots.
The breakthrough British act, back from the brink, hard life’s new album is as much a welcome return as it is a legally-enforced debut. Yet from 2017’s instant-classic ‘Pockets’ onwards, hard life’s catalogue has spoken volumes beyond mere trademark. Along the way Murray has established himself as one of the most astute songwriters in the UK, landing 2 number 2-charting albums, collaborating with the likes of Arlo Parks, Kevin Abstract and FINNEAS, plus star-making turns ranging from Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage to Alexandra Palace. Coming out of the not-inconsiderable shadow of a global pandemic, hard life were sucked into a legal battle and level of public scrutiny that won the nation’s hearts, but put their livelihoods completely on the line.
HARD LIFE INSTORES
14-Jul-25 Edinburgh Assai
15-Jul-25 Liverpool Jacaranda Records
20-Jul-25 Birmingham HMV
21-Jul-25 Bristol Rough Trade Bristol
22-Jul-25 Brighton Resident
24-Jul-25 Southampton Vinilo
25-Jul-25 London Rough Trade East
27-Jul-25 Nottingham Rough Trade
HARD LIFE – 2025 UK HEADLINE TOUR
Tue 28 Oct – Leeds – O2 Academy
Wed 29 Oct – Bristol – O2 Academy
Thu 30 Oct – London – O2 Academy Brixton
Mon 3 Nov – Newcastle upon Tyne – The Boiler Shop
Tue 4 Nov – Glasgow – SWG3 Galvanizers
Thu 6 Nov – Manchester – Manchester Academy
Mon 10 Nov – Nottingham – Rock City
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