After becoming the biggest breaking British rock band with their self-titled 2014 debut album, Royal Blood’s eagerly anticipated second album How Did We Get So Dark? will be released on June 16th. The album’s first single ‘Lights Out’ ups the ante from their debut with a wrecking ball of a groove cemented by Thatcher’s thunderous rhythms, while Kerr wrangles the twisted invention of his bass riffs to a whole new level.

Royal Blood’s breakthrough was huge. Their debut album was the fastest-selling British rock debut in three years, hitting #1 in the UK, debuting in the Top 5 in the US, going Top 20 in twelve countries, and selling over a million copies. Before they knew it they were touring with the Foo Fighters, holding dressing room audiences with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page in New York, and being presented with a BRIT Award for ‘Best British Band’ in 2015 by the very same guitar god.

The ten tracks that feature on How Did We Get So Dark? were written in instrumental form during sessions in Brighton, Hollywood, Los Angeles and Nashville. Always trying to explore ways of stripping their enormous sound back to give it more space and impact, inspiration for the lyrics came from events in vocalist/bassist Mike Kerr’s life since the band first found huge success. In November 2016, Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, along with producer Jolyon Thomas, spent six weeks in a studio in Brussels that was decked out like a New York diner and featured a warehouse of antique gear. How Did We Get So Dark? was subsequently completed after a final session in London with their debut album’s co-producer Tom Dalgety.

Royal Blood’s summer festival touring commences at The Governors Ball in New York City in June and concludes with both legs of Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival in August. In the UK, they’re confirmed to play Glastonbury and will headline the Eden Sessions on June 22nd.