News : Bloc Party Celebrate Love On Buoyant New Song ‘Pigwig’

Bloc Party have released their latest song, ‘Pigwig’. Listen to the new track below.

The lively single offers another taste of the London group’s seventh studio record, ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’, which arrives through Contagious Music on September 11. It follows ‘Coming On Strong’, ‘Love Bombs’ and ‘Now We Can’t Be Friends’.

Explaining the inspiration behind the track, frontman Kele Okereke said: “‘Pigwig’ is about the moment of realising that you have been hit by a very big love, almost as if it’s against your will. During our relationship, Pigwig was my pet name, after the Beatrix Potter character – the partner of Pigling Bland – an inside joke that meant a lot to us at the time.”

Looking back on the memory behind it, he added: “Looking back, this song is probably one of the sweetest on the album as it recalls a memory of a romantic seaside trip at the most magical point of our relationship.”

The opening verse finds Okereke singing: “That was the moment I knew, I’d fallen for you.” He continues: “Our summer of love/ Pigwig/ We take your car to the beach / I load up on treats as the motorway rolls.”

Further into the song, Okereke describes his partner’s fascination with “the coast in disarray”, before adding: “He wants to see the concrete and grey/ Seems he’s happiest amongst the disrepair/ He’s in love with decay.”

Elsewhere, the vocalist remembers how every moment with his partner felt “such a vibe” and kept “getting better” as an energetic indie rock arrangement drives the song forward. He recalls: “He’s tugging on my arm like a heartstring/ He’s filling my days with wild imaginings.”

‘Pigwig’ is accompanied by an official video with a nostalgic 2000s visual style. Directed and designed by Laura Perrett, the clip shows Bloc Party performing together onstage.

The group have expanded their UK record shop tour taking place next month. The complete schedule and ticket information can be found here. Bloc Party will later begin a joint UK and European headline tour with Interpol, following their recent appearances supporting Muse at selected North American concerts.

During a conversation with NME last spring, Okereke offered an early idea of what listeners could expect from ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’. The album was produced by veteran musician Trevor Horn, known for his work with Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

“The term that we were bandying around at the start was ‘disco heartbreak’,” he told us at the time. “That was the umbrella, but it’s kind of morphed into something else. We’re only six songs in, so it could go completely left. We’ll see.”

The singer also explained: “It’s a record about heartbreak, really – that’s the only thing I can say about it at this stage. Hopefully it will be out next year, but we’ll see.”

Reflecting on his collaboration with Horn, Okereke said: “He’s made some of my favourite records of all time, so it’s quite interesting to hear what he has to say. He’s been making records for most of his life, for over 50 years, so he seems to know all the tricks. He seems to know everyone as well and have a story about everyone.”

The 14 song collection unfolds like a personal memoir from Okereke and includes some of his most revealing writing so far. ‘Anatomy Of A Brief Romance’ follows the band’s 2022 release ‘Alpha Games’.

In 2025, Bloc Party received the Outstanding Song Collection Award at the Ivor Novellos. U2, Brandon Flowers, Robbie Williams, Lola Young and Self Esteem were among the other artists recognised.

Later that summer, the band performed the first ‘icons’ set at Reading & Leeds, delivering a selection of indie favourites alongside plenty of lighthearted audience interaction.