Midlake have shared their propulsive and anthemic new single “The Calling” from their eagerly awaited sixth studio album ‘A Bridge To Far,’ arriving November 7th via Bella Union. Frontman Eric Pulido notes he really liked where they landed with “The Calling,” with a driving vibe that opens up nicely with the horn section Jesse and Sam devised so perfectly, while lyrically the song deals with his own struggle with applying himself towards a given effort, denying or embracing that which we were made to do. Following previous singles “The Ghouls” and “Days Gone By,” the new track features Jesse Chandler and Sam Evian’s duelling saxophones that brought an unexpected burst of colour, with Pulido joking it’s “like we went to Chicago World for a minute.” For over two decades, Midlake has quietly built a world of their own rooted in the college-town charm of Denton, Texas but expansive in sound and spirit, with ‘A Bridge To Far’ feeling both deeply personal and universally resonant as an album about hope not in some abstract sense but as a human necessity.
Recorded at The Echo Lab in Denton and produced by Sam Evian, the sessions felt effortless and authentic without overthinking things, translating into a sound both atmospheric and grounded, cinematic without excess, deeply felt without sentimentality. The album is rich with recurring themes of persistence, humility and the quiet beauty in life’s overlooked details, with “Days Gone By” juxtaposing personal struggle with the eternal rhythm of the natural world offering perspective and peace, “Eyes Full of Animal” channeling visceral energy tracing a moment of emotional misalignment, and “Guardians” unfolding like a mantra honouring those who protect what is good and pure while featuring a stirring verse exchange between Pulido and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. Additional guest vocals from Hannah Cohen and Meg Lui shimmer throughout the album, lending added warmth and nuance.
Midlake UK & EU 2026 Tour:
31st January – Sunderland – The Fire Station
1st February – Birmingham – Moseley Folk & Arts All-dayer
3rd February – Manchester – Gorilla
4th February – Leeds – Brudenell Social Club *(Sold Out!)*
5th February – Bristol – Thekla
6th February – London – Electric Ballroom
7th February – Brighton – Chalk
9th February – Ghent – Wintercircus
10th February – Amsterdam – Paradiso
11th February – Paris – Alhambra
12th February – Geneva – Festival Antigel