Sam Roberts Band announces new album “The Adventures Of Ben Blank”

Platinum-Selling Sam Roberts Band Announce New Album
The Adventures of Ben Blank To Be Released On October 20th
New Single “Afterlife” Out Now

The Adventures of Ben Blank is a collection of nine tracks including irresistible melodies, rich harmonies and insightful lyrics with the distinctive Sam Roberts Band sound. It was recorded at Giant Studio in Toronto, ON.

Blank is the narrator of Sam Roberts Band’s eighth full-length album, and he’s at once a familiar figure and an unknowable spectre —a man in a constant state of creation, simultaneously ancient and endlessly reborn.

The album is available for pre-order now and includes a standard black vinyl and a limited edition copper nugget coloured vinyl version via the band’s website.  Pre-saving the album enters fans for a chance to win an exclusive merch bundle that includes an autographed test pressing of the album and more.

Today, the band released their newest song off the upcoming album, “Afterlife,” which effortlessly blends rock, alternative and indie elements. The centrepiece of the record is the stunning “Afterlife”, a middle finger raised at the prospect of death, in which Blank spits “I’ll get my kicks on this side of the Styx.” It’s a reminder of the momentousness of the moment, a bold refutation of the future—both a joyful and a painful reminder that this is all we have. Watch the visualizer for “Afterlife” here.

The album will also include the focus track, “The Ballad of Ben Blank,” which serves as the album’s stomping introduction, and the band’s most recent single “Picture of Love,” which peaked at #11 on the Canadian Alternative Rock charts. Written by Sam Roberts, “Picture of Love” is a refreshing dose of warmth with guitars effortlessly woven through an irresistible melody.

With over 125 million career streams to date, Sam Roberts Band maintains their tradition of delivering chart-topping singles, consistently surpassing expectations with their music.

The Adventures of Ben Blank will be the band’s first new album since 2020’s All of Us. The album garnered critical praise and achieved notable recognition, including a JUNO nomination for Rock Album of the Year and being listed among the top 10 highest-rated albums of that year by Uncut Magazine.

The Adventures Of Ben Blank Tracklisting
1. The Ballad of Ben Blank
2. I Dream of You
3. Projection
4. Cascades
5. Picture of Love
6. Afterlife
7. Everybody Needs Love
8. Bad Country
9. If Only

Chemical City (Redux)

Second Pressing

Chemical City was released 15 years ago, almost to the day, but in some ways the full story has yet to be told.  On the original vinyl pressing, side four was left blank… a chapter missing. We recorded Chemical City with Producer Mark Howard in Newrybar, Australia in 2005 at a place called The Old Church (which is exactly what it was…an old church). After a couple of months of writing and recording, sunny beaches, fruit bats, large and small spiders, flat whites, Matt Mays… our friend and then label A&R man Allan Reid paid us a visit Down Under to see “where we were at.” As he later recounts, “Sam picked me up at the airport, took me for a swim in the bluest of oceans, then to the Church for a great steak dinner and amazing Australian wine… and then they got me high. Now it was time to hear the album… I don’t know if I was too high or if it was the jet lag but something just didn’t sound right.” (for that kind of no BS talk, Al will always hold a special place in our hearts…) At any rate – challenge accepted. We came home to Montreal three months later and resumed working on the songs, this time with childhood friend and producer Joseph Donovan. At last, armed with a finished album, we knocked on the door of the head of our record label to tell him that our now-overdue sophomore release was a concept album populated by astral voyagers, dead-beat super heroes, apocalyptic love, nefarious gangland henchmen and a rag-tag resistance…

Somewhere in all of the chaos that followed, a few of the songs were left behind. Either unmixed, unfinished or lost… Chemical City was released in 2006, ten songs and one blank side and has lived that way ever since. It is difficult for us not to consider the album as set in stone after having played the songs – the way it was meant to be. However, the truth is that there is a fourth side with songs and characters that complete the story. These songs are Major Minor (previously unreleased), Fall Before You Finish (previously released as a bonus track, now remixed and including missing tracks), The Cathedral (previously unreleased, was lost and found…) and Step Inside (previously released as a Japanese single, now remixed including missing tracks). This second pressing of Chemical City has also been remastered to incorporate the new side. Enjoy the music and thanks for listening. SRB