Gang of Youths Announce New Album Compañero, 2027 North American Tour

Gang of Youths have announced their new album, Compañero, and a 2027 North American spring tour. As a preview of the record, the band put out the second single, “Benny’s Video.” Stream it below.

The Australian indie rock band will release Compañero, their fourth studio album, on March 12th via Mosy Recordings, Sony Music Australia, RCA UK, and Arista US. The album marks a shift in the band’s approach to songwriting, they said in a press release. Frontman David Le’aupepe looked beyond the personal confessions and embraced a broader method. He was influenced by Leonard Cohen, Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, David Berman, and Bill Callahan, while the band cited inspiration from the American Southwest, mid-century crooners, the Laurel Canyon folk-rock of the late ’60s and early ’70s, and art movements like surrealism. They recorded across the UK, with sessions at Decoy Studios, Redchurch, Urchin, Hoxa and their own Cloud 9 studio. Guitarist and keyboardist Jung Kim primarily produced and engineered the album while the band recorded live as much as possible. Fans can pre-order Compañero here. 

Get Gang of Youths Tickets Here

“I had this realization that I didn’t need to channel all this brutality anymore,” Le’aupepe said. “I used to do that out of some shame about being an artist. But I began looking at my life and experience, and began to think that making art is a worthwhile thing to continue exploring in itself.”

With “Benny’s Video,” a reference to Michael Haneke’s 1992 film that inspired the single’s darker edge, propulsive synths are paired with an unsettling undercurrent to create a song that’s paradoxically pretty and welcoming with its violin melodies and cathartic bridge.

Alongside the new album, Gang of Youths announced North American tour dates for spring 2027. The 19-date run kicks off March 17th in Boston at Royale. The band hits Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle, among other cities. The tour closes out with the group’s second weekend performance at Coachella.

An artist ticket pre-sale begins Wednesday, November 18th at 10:00 a.m. local time. The general on-sale starts Friday, November 20th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster and the band’s official site.

In 2022, Gang of Youths had to cancel a North American tour because of health issues affecting Le’aupepe. Their latest album, angel in realtime, was released the same year.

Compañero Artwork:

Compañero Tracklist:

01. This Machine, It’s a Classic
02. Things Take Time
03. YeYu
04. Manilla ’98
05. Street Value
06. Desert Life Museum
07. Benny’s Video
08. Major Arcana
09. Ants Control the World
10. Which Side of the River Are You On?
11. Future Be Kind

03/17 – Boston, MA @ Royale
03/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
03/20 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
03/23 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
03/24 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
03/25 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
03/27 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic
03/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
03/30 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
03/31 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex (The Grand)
04/02 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
04/03 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
04/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
04/08 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
04/09 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
04/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
04/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Swan Dive
04/16 – Indio, CA @ Coachella