Roxanne de Bastion – Here Lies Human
Pulling no punches, London-based singer-songwriter, Roxanne de Bastion announces her bold, third studio album with a new, Tony Visconti-produced single, “Apocalypse Queen.”
Striding fearlessly into an exhilarating, do or die era of sonic ambition, left field influences and incisive lyricism, de Bastion emits imperious, creative confidence on Here Lies Human, a new ten-track album set for release on Fri 12 February 2027.
One of two tracks on the album recorded with, and benefiting from musical contributions from the history-making David Bowie and T-Rex producer, “Apocalypse Queen” features a rollcall of major league, award-winning musical contributors. Alongside Visconti on bass and backing vocals, the recording of “Apocalypse Queen” welcomes Blackstar bandleader and saxophonist, Donny McCaslin, guitarist, Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, Rufus Wainwright), eight times Grammy Award-winning engineer, Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, Tori Amos, Kate Bush) and drummer, Gunnar Olsen (Bruce Springsteen, Liam Gallagher, Miley Cyrus).
A song that’s “about embracing your strength, realising your power and unleashing our potential…possibly just in time for the end of days.” “Apocalypse Queen” is apt follow-up to the artist’s striking, standalone summer dystopian bop single, “Simple Pleasures.” On both and tracing the themes of the lazer-focused album to come, de Bastion’s position couldn’t be clearer: “If we’re going out, we’re going out loud!”
Describing the experience of working with Visconti as ‘magical’, de Bastion’s determination to realise an album that captures the untethered dynamism of her unmissable live performances, choosing scale over subtlety, led her to the ambitious, ten days of recording in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
She adds: “It was a moment when everything came together for me in the most beautiful way. The energy of the city provided the perfect backdrop. Recording in the middle of Brooklyn’s industrial wasteland fitted the apocalyptic theme and I had the best time completing the tracks at Human Studios, where Bowie recorded ‘Blackstar’, and sharing so many stories between takes.”
Surrounded by uncertainty, watching commercial and technological ‘progress’ trample nature and living in a time warp of extreme political ideologies, Here Lies Human is described as a curious, critical and affectionate epitaph to the beauty, strangeness and self-defeating nature of humanity. A further eight songs were recorded in London with Music Producers Guild Writer-Producer of the Year and double Grammy Award-nominated producer, Steph Marziano (Hayley Williams, Picture Parlour, Jasmine.4.t, Nell Mescal).
While de Bastion’s fanbase has had opportunity to catch live performances regularly, between festivals and support dates with kindred spirits including Ed Harcourt, The Anchoress and Howard Jones, there hasn’t been a full UK tour announcement since 2022. Ready to play the newly crowned Apocalypse Queen’s songs at full volume, all confirmed Here Lies Human 2027 UK Tour dates are as follows:
- Mon 15 March 2027 – Brighton, Folklore
- Wed 17 March 2027 – Bristol, Exchange
- Thu 18 March 2027 – Manchester, Yes Basement
- Fri 19 March 2027 – Liverpool, Kazimier Stockroom
- Tue 23 March 2027 – Glasgow, Hug & Pint
- Wed 24 March 2027 – Newcastle, The Cumberland
- Wed 21 April 2027 – London, Lower Third
- Thu 22 April 2027 – Cambridge, Portland Arms
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