Photo credit: Gregg Houston
BOX SET FEATURING A REWORKED VERSION OF ‘ABOVE THE CLOUDS OF POMPEII’ ALONGSIDE DERMOT KENNEDY
+ 2025 EUROPEAN LIVE SHOWS ANNOUNCED
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album Islands, Bear’s Den is proud to announce a special edition reissue, set for release on Friday, October 18th, 2024. Digitally released alongside this milestone edition is a stunning reworked version of the fan-favourite track “Above the Clouds of Pompeii,” featuring the powerhouse vocals of Dermot Kennedy.
Islands, which has sold over 100,000 copies and is certified Gold in the UK, continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans worldwide. To commemorate this significant anniversary, Bear’s Den has teamed up with Dermot Kennedy to breathe new life into “Above the Clouds of Pompeii,” offering listeners an acoustic reworking that promises to be as emotive and stirring as the original.
The 10th-anniversary edition of Islands will be available in several exclusive formats, perfect for collectors and long-time fans alike including; exclusive colour vinyl, limited edition double disc CD and vinyl which includes a disc of B-sides and rarities, as well as a box set for collectors which includes the double disc vinyl, a photobook, and a tiny 4-inch vinyl record. This ‘tiny vinyl’ features Dermot Kennedy’s version of “Above the Clouds of Pompeii” and “Hard Life,” originally from the band’s very first bootleg CD release, the Cardigan EP, plus this release will mark the first time a fully playable 4″ vinyl is available in the UK. All copies bought from the band’s store will come with a signed print, adding a personal touch for fans.
Speaking about the original recording of “Above the Clouds of Pompeii”, the band’s Andrew Davie said, “It’s about a trip I took with my dad, when I was a kid, to Pompeii. And my dad’s mum had just passed away and my parents were going through a divorce…it was a very sad time and I remember, as a young boy looking up to my dad and trying to make him happier, that was kinda the story of the song and the idea of the song came from that“.
While Dermot Kennedy added, “When I think back, I think the first time I ever heard this song I was in Switzerland and I was playing some shows at a pub every night kinda playing for 3 hours, 4 hours, it was this relentless kinda covers gig and even though I was happy to be doing it I realised I was quite, I wouldn’t say I was hopeless, but I was very far from doing what I wanted to be doing and then I heard this song, and it just kinda hit me in a way that no other song had previously.”
“I feel it’s a beautifully poignant song about the idea of grief or loss or just yearning and it’s one of my favourite songs of all time, and so to be here singing on it, it feels incredible to me.”
Bear’s Den have also announced a string of live shows in stunning concert halls across Europe, set to start in March 2025. See below for the full list of confirmed dates so far.
2025 Live Show Dates:
9th March 2025 – Gateshead UK, The Glasshouse
10th March 2025 – Edinburgh UK, Queen’s Hall
11th March 2025 – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
13th March 2025 – London UK, Royal Albert Hall
23rd March 2025 – Cologne GERMANY, Gloria
25th March 2025 – Amsterdam NETHERLANDS, Carre
26th March 2025 – Brussels BELGIUM, Cirque Royal
Tickets on sale 10am Friday 13th September, with an exclusive pre-sale available on bearsdenmusic.com from 10am on Wednesday 11th September.
The tenth anniversary edition of ‘Islands’ will follow their recent EPs ‘White Magnolias’ and ‘First Loves‘, as well as their fourth studio album ‘Blue Hours’, which was released in May 2022. The album went on to peak at number 6 in the UK Album Charts, making it their second top ten record and features the track “All That You Are” which appeared in episode 309 of Ted Lasso (clip HERE)
‘Islands’ Standard tracklisting
1 Agape
2 The Love We Stole
3 Above the Clouds of Pompeii
4 Isaac
5 Think of England
6 Magdalene
7 When You Break
8 Stubborn Beast
9 Elysium
10 Bad Blood
‘Islands’ B-sides disc tracklisting (for the double disc vinyl, the double CD and the box set vinyl):
SIDE A:
Above the Clouds Of Pompeii (Cardigan EP Version)
Bad Blood (Cardigan EP Version)
Sophie (Demo)
Writing on the Wall (Demo)
Horses Revisited (Demo)
SIDE B:
Hold On, We’re Going Home
Stay With Me
Coffee
Don’t Let The Sun Steal You Away (Live)
Sophie (Live)
Isaac (Live)
4″ ‘TINY’ VINYL
A side – Above the Clouds of Pompeii featuring Dermot Kennedy
B side – Hard Lie
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