Exciting times. The long-awaited second LP from Sunderland’s Tearjerker will be up for pre-order on Friday 9th October 2026. The new album is called Ghosts and will be released on transparent blue vinyl / CD by Little Rocket Records and cassette by Cat’s Claw Records in the UK / EU, with the US and Canadian release handled by A.D.D Records and Sell the Heart Records.
If you somehow failed to pay attention back at the arse-end of 2023, Tearjerker burst on to the scene in the North East with their self-titled debut album, playing tons of gigs locally in the North East to wide acclaim, seeing the pressing sell out on pre-order. It’s not clear why or how the lads have failed to leave the North East to play some gigs as they’ve most definitely had offers. One can only assume that at the time, the only map they collectively possess dates back to the 12th century, and depicts Sunderland surrounded by wasteland on the landward side, inscribed with “here be dragons”, and on the North Sea side, there swim monstrous fish with gnashing teeth and dual water spouts gushing forth from their heads…
Fear not, I have it on good authority that they have now been provided with esoteric devices of navigation that have advanced beyond the humble sextant and compass, and which embrace the sorcery of Google Maps, no less. So keep an eye out for them playing some gigs in support of the release of Ghosts at a seedy dive near you in the coming months…
In the meantime, to wet your whistle, we have the video for the first single to be lifted from the Ghosts LP for you take a look at. It’s called Jezebel:
It’s a dark, funereal number, yet insidiously infectious. The sombre atmosphere of the video takes loose inspiration from the infamous Salem witch trials, and the widely held misonceptions in common folklore and popular culture relating to witch burnings. You get the idea… the persecution and superstition around the misunderstood; that infuse the way people and things are often viewed and treated at the time, not to mention the mythos that often builds around such things after the fact.
Musically, this sits somewhere between Leatherface, Nothington and the Ramones‘ Pet Sematary. It serves as a taster for some of what you can expect from Ghosts, as Tearjerker expand on the robust foundations of their debut album, with more heart-on-sleeve, exposed nerve scrutiny of the nuances of relationship breakdown, heartbreak and loss. With this year’s release schedule seeming to be comparatively barren in comparrison to the last few, this bouquet of emotive, melodic punk rock sinus burners is just what we need. Think peak Tiltwheel meets Therapy?‘s Troublegum, but all drenched in the melody of the Doughboys and Samiam. This is sure to see you through the dark and wet months ahead. Fill your boots.
Pre-order links:
UK – transparent blue vinyl / CD: Little Rocket Records
UK – cassette: Catsclaw Records
US (East Coast) – transparent blue vinyl: A.D.D. Records
US (West Coast)- transparent blue vinyl: Sell the Heart Records
