The Libertines are back with “Night of the Hunter,” the latest single from their upcoming album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.
Arriving nearly two months after the band announced their comeback album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade (their first full-length release in nine years), “Night of the Hunter” is a story song partially inspired by the 1955 film of the same name starring Robert Mitchum as a preacher who has the words “Love” and “Hate” tattooed on his knuckles.
As The Libertines’ Peter Doherty explains: “The song’s about not staying ahead of the law. This fella doesn’t really know why his mate’s dead, but he’s got a feeling his mate had it coming to him. He fucked with the wrong people, and he stole something he shouldn’t have, and he got stabbed. So, he’s angry and hurt and he has to go and get revenge… once he has stabbed the lad who stabbed his mate, that’s it for him. He lashed out in revenge and he knows they’re coming to get him and he’s not even going to try and run because he knows he’ll just be running forever.”
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Throughout, the music matches the tone of the lyrics, evoking Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake with a haunting melody carried by an electric guitar and a theremin. According to the band’s Carl Barât, the melody was the seed that sprouted into the song’s arrangement. “I started writing a riff and it ended up sounding a bit like Swan Lake, and everyone went, ‘Yeah!’” Barât said in a statement. “We got Peter’s theremin player in, which took about a day to get in tune, then he played that sequence and it worked beautifully.”
As for the song’s story, Barât added: “The idea of getting carted off for ten years is horrendous… the condemned man dies a thousand times.” Stream “Night of the Hunter” below.
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In October, The Libertines shared the lead single from All Quiet…, “Run Run Run.” The album itself is due on March 8th, 2024, via Casablanca and Republic Records, and will be available on digital, CD, and vinyl formats, with several deluxe packages offered as well. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Up next, The Libertines are gearing up to play a run of club shows in the UK from December through February. Check out the full list of their upcoming dates below, and grab tickets here.
In November, Doherty appeared on the BBC series Louis Theroux Interviews and said that he feels death is “lurking,” and is “a very sick man” after years of substance abuse and a harmful diet. In November 2019, he was arrested twice in 48 hours, leading to him getting clean the following month.
The Libertines 2023-2024 Tour Dates:
12/09 – Margate, UK @ Lido
12/10 – Margate, UK @ Lido
01/23 – Stockton, UK @ Arc
01/24 – Liverpool, UK @ Cavern Club
01/25 – Milton Keynes, UK @ MK11
01/27 – Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
01/28 – Derby, UK @ Hairy Dog
02/11 – Falmouth, UK @ Pavilions
02/12 – Southampton, UK @ Engine Room
02/14 – Stoke, UK @ Underground
02/15 – Leeds, UK @ The Wardrobe
02/16 – Glasgow, UK @ Oran Mor
