John Grant has announced his new album The Art Of The Lie will be released on Friday, June 14 via Bella Union.
To accompany the announcement Grant has shared a comedic trailer for the album which features the irresistibly funky first single It’s A Bitch which is available on all streaming platforms now.
Grant first came to prominence in the indie band The Czars, but since they split in 2006 he has released a succession on intriguing and genre defying solo albums. He’s also opened up about being gay and living with HIV.
The Art Of The Lie will be the seventh album of his solo career and follows on from 2021’s Boy from Michigan.
Commenting on the new single It’s a Bitch Grant revealed it draws on a lot of 1980’s nostalgia.
“It was a blast making this track which is just about having fun with words, synths and dope rhythms and bass lines and also making fun of post-COVID malaise. Plus, people get to ponder what a ‘hesher’ is. I loved going to the arcade in the 80s and watching smokin’-hot heshers hold court while playing Tempest, Stargate, Robotron and Asteroids, and while also blasting Iron Maiden and Rush on their Walkmans.”
John Grant began thinking about The Art of The Lie in the Autumn of 2022. Earlier that year, John had been introduced to Ivor Guest, producer and composer at Grace Jones’ Southbank show, the finale of her Meltdown Festival.
They began talking about two records Guest had worked on, Hurricane for Jones, Prohibition for Brigitte Fontaine.
“Grace and Brigitte are two very big artists for me,” says Grant. “I love the albums he did for them. Hurricane is an indispensable piece of Grace’s catalogue.” An idea was sparked. “I said, I really think you should do this next record with me. He said, I think you’re right.”
A year and a half later, the result is what promised to be John Grant’s most opulent, cinematic, luxurious album yet: The Art of The Lie.
The tracks on the album include 1. All That School For Nothing 2. Marbles 3. Father 4. Mother And Son 5. Twistin Scriptures 6. Meek AF 7. It’s A Bitch 8. Daddy 9. The Child Catcher 10. Laura Lou 11. Zeitgeist
Read our previous interviews with John Grant. We chatted in 2015 and 2018.
OIP Staff, image: Hörður Sveinsson
