Saint Etienne have returned with news that their 10th album, I’ve Been Trying To Tell You, will be released on September 10th.

The album will be released via Heavenly Recordings and is described by the London based group as “a concept album about optimism, nostalgia and the late nineties”. A film with the same name as the album is set for release on August 3rd. Physical copies of the album are available to pre-order.

The film, directed by renowned photographer Alasdair McLellan, will premier alongside The Films Of Saint Etienne; a special weekend of Q & A’s and screenings in London’s BFI Southbank from the 3rd-5th of August.

“It’s the first sample driven album we’ve made since So Tough and it’s been a really refreshing experience, such fun! It’s both dreamy and atmospheric, late summer sounds,” said the band’s singer Sarah in an Instagram post announcing the news.

 

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Due to lockdown restrictions, this album is also the first time the art-pop outfit has recorded remotely. Founder Pete Wigg worked on the album at his Needham Sound studio in Hove, vocalist Sarah Cracknell recorded in Oxford and keyboardist Bob Stanley recorded in Bradford.

“To me it’s about optimism, and the late nineties,” remarked Staney, “and how memory is an unreliable narrator. Pete and Gus [Bousfield, co producer] have done a properly amazing production job. I think it sounds gorgeous.”

Saint Etienne dropped their lead single from the album, ‘Pond House,’ today along with the album announcement. The band last released two singles in 2019 called ‘Saturday Boy’ and ‘You Don’t Owe Me.” Their last album, Home Counties, was released in 2017.

"Nothing screams summer like Saint Etienne, as the slinky Londoners have created some of the most blissfully sun-kissed music on earth. They’ve always explored their Englishness, and Home Counties sees them interrogate and explore the weirdly-named area where they were born and bred," wrote Hot Press' Eamon Sweeney in his review of the album.

“We’ve really pulled apart and dived deep into the samples; the concept and each of our interpretations of it have made this a very special sounding album, we hope you think so too,” explained Wigg.

Listen to ‘Pond House’ below.