Simple Minds have confirmed that their next studio album will be titled Sacrosanct, with frontman Jim Kerr saying the project reflects a point where making music feels “closer to faith” than a career.
The new album, set for January 29, 2027, follows an exceptionally active period for the group. Since releasing Direction of the Heart in 2022, the band have premiered a career-spanning documentary, published a joint memoir that earned multiple “Books of the Year” nods, and performed to more than 1.5 million fans on their Global Tour – their biggest audiences since the mid-1980s. It was during that run, still energised by sold-out shows, that Jim and guitarist Charlie Burchill began developing the material that would become Sacrosanct.
Their 2025 North American dates proved especially influential. Seeing crowds in new cities respond passionately to early tracks such as Sons and Fascination encouraged Jim and Charlie to revisit their art-rock and new-wave foundations, a thread that runs throughout the album’s eight songs.
The first track to be released, Beginner Boys, was inspired by Jim watching his twin grandsons grow up and reflecting on modern ideas of masculinity. He said the song considers how “strength, tenderness, courage and gentleness might still belong together,” while Charlie’s shimmering guitar gives the track its lift.
Across the record, the duo explore mythology, memory and their long-standing creative partnership. Elysium opens the album with a nod to Magazine, while King of the Underworld draws on the figure of Mephistopheles. Jerusalem (State of Mind) references William Blake’s vision of a better world, and Our Secrets Are the Same focuses directly on Jim and Charlie’s friendship – two boys who met on a Glasgow street and are still writing together five decades later. The most pop-leaning moment arrives with Songs, a tribute to the emotional power of music.
The closing tracks, Alive in This Moment and The Next Right Thing, explore nostalgia from different angles: one urging listeners to stay present, the other reflecting on time passing and the people we lose.
Explaining the album title, Jim said: “We called the album Sacrosanct because after a lifetime of doing this – nearly 50 years of writing songs together – it’s stopped feeling like a career and started feeling like something closer to faith.”
The band view the record as the final part of a trilogy alongside Walk Between Worlds and Direction of the Heart.
Jim added: “Making records and performing live is as much part of our lives now as when we started out. We feel grateful to those who support new music from Simple Minds and look forward to seeing you all on our upcoming world tour.”
Simple Minds have also announced a major tour with special guest Gary Numan.
The Don’t You Forget About Me hitmakers will embark on their biggest arena tour to date,
The Simple Minds V Tour 2027, which kicks off in February in Australia and New Zealand, before heading to Europe and the UK in April and May. Their biggest UK headline show will be at Manchester’s Co-op Live on May 7.
Fans who pre-order Sacrosanct by September 8, will gain access to the UK pre-sale. Tickets go on general sale on September 11 at 9.30am.
Before then, on September 13, Simple Minds will headline Sunday night of BBC Radio 2’s In The Park at City Park, Stirling, Scotland.
Head to simpleminds.com for the full tour dates.
Sacrosanct tracklist:
1. Elysium
2. King Of The Underworld
3. Beginner Boys
4. Jerusalem (State Of Mind)
5. Our Secrets Are The Same
6. Songs
7. Alive In This Moment
8. The Next Right Thing
