World News Announces Debut Album IN PURGATORY, Shares New Single

London post-punk band World News have announced their debut album In Purgatory, set for release on October 16, 2026, and shared the latest single from the record, 'The Way It Goes.'

In Purgatory collects 11 tracks taken from the band's opening era. It was recorded at RAK Studios in central London with producer Tommy Bosustow (mary in the junkyard, Porridge Radio).

'The way it goes was mostly written and demo'd back in 2020,' says vocalist Alex Evans. 'The lyrics don't possess too much of a story, but are more phrases, thoughts and collections of words of how I was feeling at the time. The album has a few songs on it similar to this that were written a few years ago, whilst some of the other tracks were written more recently, and in some cases weeks/days before hitting the studio. We're all very excited to share the album with everyone.'

'The Way It Goes' follows April's 'Sidestep,' which drew attention from Rolling Stone (UK) and NME, building on what the band describes as a turning-point year for World News. In 2025, the band shared two singles to critical acclaim: the jangly 'Don't Want to Know' in the spring, and the moody and nostalgic 'Everything Is Coming up Roses' in the fall, both of which KEXP's DJ John Richards premiered and treated to rare back to back plays on his morning show. They also saw an unexpected surge in streams on fan-favorite 2023 single 'The Tinman,' which made it into the global top 10 viral charts and has amassed millions of streams, without a viral moment or editorial support.

This October, in support of In Purgatory, World News are heading out on their biggest headlining UK/EU tour yet.

World News Upcoming Tour Dates

OCTOBER 2 — Vienna — Waves Showcase

OCTOBER 15 — Cardiff — SWN Festival

OCTOBER 20 — Manchester — Deaf Institute

OCTOBER 21 — Southampton — Joiners

OCTOBER 22 — Bristol — Thekla

OCTOBER 23 — Brighton — Mutations Festival

OCTOBER 30 — Barcelona — LAUT

OCTOBER 31 — Madrid — Café La Palma

NOVEMBER 3 — London — Scala

NOVEMBER 4 — Rotterdam — Rotown

DECEMBER 16 — Belfast — Voodoo

DECEMBER 18 — Dublin — Whelan's

Tracklist

1. Frog

2. Don't Want to Know

3. Everything Is Coming up Roses

4. Vinegar Swimming Pool

5. I Don't Hate You

6. Classical Music

7. Sidestep

8. The Way It Goes

9. Purgatory

10. Wet, Dry, I Can't Fly

11. Look Inside My Mind

About World News

Heartbreak, night shifts, and the claustrophobia of London life in a windowless room — World News' debut single came out of their lowest point: lockdown during the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020. Restless, disillusioned, and yearning for more, the quartet set into overdrive in the years that followed, releasing three EPs and a dozen singles and committing to a fiercely independent DIY ethos.

Originally performing under the name Tinman, brothers Alex and Rory Evans cut their teeth in Brighton's grassroots scene back in 2018, relentlessly chasing opening slots in the city's thriving music community. Following a case of mistaken identity when gig-goers arrived expecting an Austrian DJ of the same name, and a chance meeting with drummer Malte Henning over pizza at Dead Wax Social, they found their final form as World News. They were gaining momentum fast, having sold out their first headlining show in London at The Shacklewell Arms, when the pandemic hit and brought it all to a halt.

2020 saw the release of their debut EP Job and Money, a raw and pensive collection written by Alex during a time of personal turmoil, followed by highlight singles 'Wrapped in Gold' and 'The Tinman' in 2023. Riding that momentum, 2024 brought the rapid-fire release of two EPs, Escape and Mindsnap, and the addition of rhythm guitarist Jack Tollman. Escape expanded on their signature jangly sound, while Mindsnap dove into darker, gothic territory and marked the first body of work co-written by Alex and Rory.

Last year, the band shared two singles to critical acclaim: the jangly 'Don't Want to Know' in the spring, and the moody and nostalgic 'Everything Is Coming up Roses' in the fall, both of which DJ John Richards premiered and played back to back on KEXP's morning show. They also saw an unexpected surge in streams on 'The Tinman,' which made it into the global top 10 viral charts and streams have shot into the millions, with no viral TikTok moment or editorial support.

'No one really knows how it happened,' says bassist Rory Evans, 'as far as we know, we just released it back in 2023, and people started sending it around last year, and it slowly built up traction. Then it just blew up over a week or two.'

Riding that momentum, the band hit the road across the UK in the Spring of 2026, with sold-out shows at London's storied 100 Club, and in Amsterdam, Groningen, Rotterdam, Berlin, Bristol, and Manchester.

Need more Music Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...