The Hives Return With Bogus Operandi

Swedish rock’n’roll heroes The Hives return this summer with their first studio album in over a decade. Today, the band announced The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, which drops on 11th August via Fuga. 

The announcement is paired with the release of the album’s muscular opening track Bogus Operandi, whose insistent and incendiary yet suave sound fizzes with the wild energy that has become the legendary band’s calling card and sets the tone for the project as a whole. The song’s thrilling, gory and downright stylish music video is directed by Aube Perrie (Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion).

The Hives (Bisse Bengtsson)

The announcement and new single precede a spring UK/EU arena tour with the Arctic Monkeys, as well as UK festival dates and intimate album in-store performances. The intimate shows are in Bristol and Nottingham (Rough Trade Records), and Prysm in Kingston (Banquet Records). Tickets are available from those retailers from 4th May. The band will also perform a very special underplay show at The Garage in London.

As the album’s macabre title hints, the band’s extended absence from the studio has been no hiatus but rather a horror story. The Hives now admit they have not seen nor spoken to their founder, mentor and songwriter, the perpetual limelight-shunning Randy Fitzsimmons, since the release of 2012’s Lex Hives. Following the recent discovery of a hidden away obituary and cryptic poem in the local paper of the Northern Vastmanland town where The Hives are from, the band members were led to Fitzsimmons’ tombstone. Upon digging the freshly interred ground, the band found not a body but instead several tapes, suits, and a piece of paper bearing the words “The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons” typed up as if a title. Whether a hoax or Fitzsimmons’ opening gambit, remains to be seen. The uncovered tapes included the demos that would become the twelve new songs on The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons.

Of the new album, frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist declares, “There’s no maturity or anything like that bullshit, because who the fuck wants mature rock’n’roll? That’s always where people go wrong, I feel. ‘It’s like rock’n’roll but adult,’ nobody wants that! That’s literally taking the good shit out of it. Rock’n’roll can’t grow up, it is a perpetual teenager and this album feels exactly like that, which it’s all down to our excitement – and you can’t fake that shit.”

Check out the Aube Perrie-directed video for Bogus Operandi below:

Bassist The Johan And Only joins Chris Dangerous, Vigilante Carlstroem, Nicholaus Arson, and Howlin’ Pelle as a full member of The Hives following the departure of Dr Matt Destruction. Producer Patrik Berger captures the band’s punk energy and propensity for hits with his own roots in the Swedish punk scene and pop credentials including with Lana Del Rey, Robyn, and Charli XCX.

​​In the twenty-five years since The Hives exploded around the world, they have sold out stadiums and shared stages with everyone from AC/DC to The Rolling Stones. They have sold millions of albums world-wide with multiple RIAA Gold-certifications. In the time since Lex Hives, the band has released 2019’s double A-side I’m Alive’/’Good Samaritan as well as a live album via Third Man Records, and embarked on a series of global tours. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons marks a true renaissance.

The Hives UK Shows

MAY
Sat 27th – Live At Leeds Festival, Leeds
Mon 29th – Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Tue 30th – Bristol, Fleece – Rough Trade Records
Wed 31st – Coventry, Building Society Arena w/ Arctic Monkeys

JUNE
Fri 2nd – Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys
Sat 3rd – Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys
Mon 5th – Middlesbrough, Riverside Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Tue 6th – Kingston, Pryzm – Banquet Records
Wed 7th – Norwich, Carrow Road Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Fri 9th – Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys
Sat 10th – Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys
Mon 12th – Swansea, Swansea.com Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Tue 13th – London, The Garage
Wed 14th – Southampton, The Ageas Bowl w/ Arctic Monkeys
Fri 16th – London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Sat 17th – London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Sun 18th – London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys
Tue 20th – Dublin, Marlay Park w/ Arctic Monkeys
Thu 22nd – Nottingham, Rescue Room – Rough Trade Records
Sun 25th – Glasgow, Bellahouston Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

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