Biography
Royal Blood are an English rock duo made up of Mike Kerr (bass and vocals) and Ben Thatcher (drums), both from West Sussex.[1] Their self-titled 2014 debut reached number one in the UK, and Kerr's effects-driven bass rig lets one instrument cover the roles of guitar and bass.[1] Their fifth album, Dead Company, is due on Warner Records on 13 November 2026, after Back to the Water Below (2023). The band self-produced it with no deadline and describe it as raw and stripped back.[2]
The band formed in Worthing in March 2011, and Kerr and Thatcher became a duo in Brighton after earlier lineups, signing to Warner Chappell in 2013.[3] Their 2014 debut was the fastest-selling British rock debut album in three years and earned a Mercury Prize nomination, and they won the Brit Award for Best British Group in 2015.[3] Before Dead Company, Thatcher became a father and Kerr got engaged, and the pair returned to the studio in January 2025 saying they had fallen back in love with playing heavy music.[4]
The title track "Dead Company" was released as a single on 6 October 2026, with Kerr describing it as a song about music's power to change a listener's state of mind and body.[5] Its official video was hand-animated by the New York creators Hey Beautiful Jerk.[6]
References
- Royal Blood: Everything You Need To Know About The Brighton Duo (NME) — Band background, debut and Kerr's bass setup
- Royal Blood, Dead Company (Premier Guitar) — Self-produced, no-deadline 2025 sessions; stripped-back approach; single description
- Royal Blood (band) (Wikipedia) — Formation, lineup, discography and awards
- Royal Blood: There's more to life than rock 'n' roll (Radio X) — Break-time milestones and return to heavy music
- Royal Blood have released new single 'Dead Company' (Dork) — Title track release and Kerr's description
- Royal Blood - Dead Company (Official Music Video) (YouTube) — Hand-animated official video