The Divine Comedy announce new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon and share single 'Achilles'

Music
08 Apr 25

The Divine Comedy announce new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon and share single 'Achilles'

The Divine Comedy announce new album <i>Rainy Sunday Afternoon</i> and share single 'Achilles'

The Divine Comedy at Forest Fest 2024. Copyright Peter O'Hanlon.

“I have, though, like everyone, a darker, more melancholy side," Neil Hannon says. "And for one reason or another it has been much in evidence of late. I needed to use this album as an outlet for those feelings..."

Six years after the release of their last studio album, Office Politics, The Divine Comedy are set to make their eagerly awaited return – with Rainy Sunday Afternoon, out September 19.

To coincide with the news, a new single, 'Achilles', has been released, offering a taste of what's to come.

Recorded at Abbey Road in 2024, Rainy Sunday Afternoon – The Divine Comedy's 13th album – finds Neil Hannon in a 'reflective mood, contemplating the past and the present with a hopeful nod to the future.'

Since the release of 2019's Office Politics, Neil has been kept busy – with the remastering and re-releasing of The Divine Comedy's entire back catalogue in 2020; a new Best Of compilation, Charmed Life, released in 2022; and his work on the original songs for the global blockbuster Wonka.

“My musical output is, for better or worse, a representation of my personality,” the Derry-born artist comments. “A good chunk of that personality revels in the rumbumptious; celebrates the silly. And I made ample use of that for the Wonka songs.

“I have, though, like everyone, a darker, more melancholy side," he continues. "And for one reason or another it has been much in evidence of late. I needed to use this album as an outlet for those feelings. To work through some stuff. Mortality; memories; relationships; political and social upheaval. Everyone should get to make an orchestral pop album once in awhile. It should be available on the NHS.”

Rainy Sunday Afternoon artwork

To celebrate the release of the album, The Divine Comedy will tour the UK this October. European and Irish dates will follow next year.

Listen to 'Achilles' below, and pre-order Rainy Sunday Afternoon here.

UK Tour dates - October 2025:
Mon 6th Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
Tue 7th Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
Wed 8th Bath, Forum
Fri 10th Gateshead, The Glasshouse
Sat 11th London, Barbican
Sun 12th London, Barbican
Mon 13th Brighton, Dome
Wed15th Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Thu 16th Sheffield, City Hall
Fri 17th Wolverhampton, Uni The Civic Hall
Sat 18th Swansea, Building Society Arena
Mon 20th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
Tue 21st York, Barbican
Thu 23rd Oxford, New Theatre
Fri 24th Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
Sat 25th Bristol, Beacon