Kae Tempest has announced a series of album instores this July for the release of his fifth studio album, ‘Self Titled’, set for release July 4 via Island Records alongside a UK & EU tour that will include a night at the O2 Academy Brixton on November 8th.
The 12-track album is Kae’s most intimate and revealing project to date. Working with the Grammy-winning producer behind Adele and Stormzy for the first time on an album, sparked a union that saw a flood of new ideas and unexpected directions. Fraser encouraged Kae to be both an active participant in production and guided him to write in the first person, to tell his own story. The result is a body of work that sees Kae reconnect with his Hip Hop roots while paying a gentle homage to contemporary pop — an exhilarating album from start to finish.
At its core, ‘Self Titled’ is a love letter to Tempest’s younger self — a conversation across time, shaped by the people, places, and experiences that define him. Guest appearances include Neil Tennant, Young Fathers, Connie Constance, and Tawiah. The album is both a bold new chapter and a deep reflection, positioning Kae Tempest at the forefront of contemporary music and storytelling.
Kae Tempest has released four critically acclaimed studio albums, as well as numerous books, plays and poetry collections, including Brand New Ancients, which saw him become the first person under 40 to receive the Ted Hughes Award in 2013. For his music, Kae won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song in 2024, following two previous Ivor Novello nominations in 2020 and a BRIT Award nomination in 2018. He has been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize twice (For Let Them Eat Chaos in 2017 and Everybody Down in 2014). In 2023 Kae was the subject of a BBC Arena documentary ‘Being Kae Tempest’, a captivating insight into his musical and creative journey throughout a period of profound artistic and personal change. With this impressive list of accolades, it’s clear that Kae Tempest has firmly established himself as one of the most unique, thought-provoking, and critically acclaimed voices of his generation.
JUNE LIVE DATES
25th – Exeter, Exeter Phoenix
26th – Oxford, O2 Academy
29th – Glastonbury, Park Stage
JULY INSTORE DATES
6th – Liverpool, Rough Trade Liverpool
7th – Southampton, Vinilo
8th – Brighton, Resident Music
15th – Birmingham, HMV – The Vault
16th – Nottingham, Rough Trade Nottingham
JULY LIVE DATES
25th – Topcliffe, Deer Shed Festival
30th – Cardiff, Cardiff Castle
NOVEMBER UK TOUR DATES
8th – London, O2 Academy Brixton
9th. -Bristol, O2 Academy
10th – Manchester, Albert Hall
12th – Edinburgh, Corn Exchange
Support on the tour comes from Island Records label mate Jacob Alon
