Villagers have announced their upcoming album, due 10th May, with the release of its title track ‘That Golden Time’ and the accompanying music video, which features breathtaking visuals of a golden moth.

The Dublin act’s founder and award-winning singer-songwriter Conor O’Brien describes his intention behind the lead single, saying, “I wanted the warmth of the record reflected in its title. The song also touches on a theme that keeps cropping up, of romanticism versus realism. How can you have aspirational ideas about yourself and the world around you, whilst being confronted with a harsh, cold reality? The friction interested me.”

The music video, directed by Rok Predin, is a nod to the album’s artwork, which features a textbook sketch of a moth. Representative of the disorientation O’Brien feels when faced with the glare of mobile screens, the video’s golden moth meets its demise while mesmerized by a deadly flame.

That Golden Time draws on themes of quiet beauty and peaceful respite, articulating O’Brien’s vision through poetry and effortless melodies. “For me,” O’Brien explained, “That Golden Time has an internalized voice, so much so that I almost found it impossible to let anyone else in. It’s probably the most vulnerable album I’ve made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment, and finally, towards the end, invited people in.”

The album’s collaborators will include Irish legend Dónal Lunny on bouzouki and American songwriter and instrumentalist Peter Broderick on violin among others.

Villagers will head off on a European tour throughout May and June following the album’s release, with headlining shows at the Royal Festival Hall in London and Dublin’s Trinity College. Tickets will become available from 25th January at 10am, with pre-sale started on 23rd January.

That Golden Time Track-listing:

1. Truly Alone
2. First Responder
3. I Want What I Don’t Need
4. You Lucky One
5. That Golden Time
6. Keepsake
7. Brother Hen
8. No Drama
9. Behind That Curtain
10. Money On The Mind

Watch Villagers’ latest single here!