1982 Pop-Rock Icons Announce First Album in 41 Years Under Their Original Name
Dexys Midnight Runners has announced a new album titled LOVE, which marks the group's first release under the Dexys Midnight Runners name since 1985's Don't Stand Me Down.
Frontman Kevin Rowland describes the album as a deeply personal collection of songs exploring "love in all its forms," including family, ageing, memory, romance and reconciliation. The album drops on September 4, you can pre-order the album here.
Produced by David Holmes alongside Peter Schweir, the record also reunites Rowland with longtime collaborators Sean Read, Mike Timothy, Jim Paterson and Brian Irving.
The album's lead single, "My Life In England Pt. 1," revisits Rowland's childhood growing up in a second-generation Irish family in north-west London.
"We were in England dreaming of America," Rowland said in a statement. "It was Elvis, it was Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay, clothes, all of it was America."
He also reflected on memories of hearing Irish rebel songs in social clubs as a child, recalling how his mother warned him that one song "wasn't allowed in England."
Dexys Midnight Runners became one of the defining bands of the early 1980s thanks to hits like "Geno," "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" and especially "Come On Eileen," which reached No. 1 in both the UK and the United States.
The song later won Best British Single at the 1983 Brit Awards and became Britain's best-selling single of 1982.
The renewed attention arrives decades after Dexys Midnight Runners scored one of the defining hits of the early MTV era with "Come On Eileen." The song topped the U.S. charts in 1983 and later became one of the most recognizable one-hit wonders of the decade. In his book "99 Red Balloons and 100 Other All-Time Great One-Hit Wonders," author Brent Mann described the track as an "unforgettable tune" that blended "lazy, dreamy fiddle" with "foot-stomping pop overdrive."
Mann also noted that the song's blue-collar visual style helped turn the band into MTV favorites during the spring of 1983, with frontman Rowland's overalls-and-bandana look becoming instantly recognizable to a generation of viewers.
Although the group continued releasing music in later years under the shortened name Dexys, the return to Dexys Midnight Runners carries extra significance for longtime fans. The band has not toured under that name since 2003.
'LOVE' Track List
"My Life In England Pt. 1"
"You've Got The Love"
"Once A Man, Twice A Child"
"You're Alright"
"I Want To Be Holding You Next Christmas"
"I'll Always Love You"
"Strange Feelin'"
"It's Over Now"
"Old Love"
"My Life In England Pt. 2"
Alongside the album announcement, the group revealed an extensive UK, Ireland and European tour, including two nights at London's Hackney Empire after adding an extra show due to fan demand.
2026 Tour Dates
In-Store Appearances
Sept. 4 - Assai - Glasgow
Sept. 5 - Jumbo - Leeds
Sept. 6 - Rough Trade - Nottingham
Sept. 7 - HMV - Birmingham
Sept. 8 - Rough Trade - Bristol
Sept. 9 - Resident - Brighton
Sept. 10 - Rough Trade East - London
Tour Dates
Oct. 4 - Gota Lejon - Stockholm
Oct. 6 - Pustervik - Gothenburg
Oct. 7 - Slagthuset Teater - Malmo
Oct. 10 - Passionskirche - Berlin
Oct. 11 - Elysee Montmartre - Paris
Oct. 20 - Royal Concert Hall - Glasgow
Oct. 21 - City Hall - Newcastle
Oct. 23 - The Halls, University of Wolverhampton - Wolverhampton
Oct. 25 - Opera House - Manchester
Oct. 27 - Hackney Empire - London
Oct. 28 - Hackney Empire - London
Oct. 30 - Corn Exchange - Cambridge
Nov. 1 - Dome - Brighton
Nov. 4 - Olympia - Dublin
Nov. 5 - Ulster Hall - Belfast
Nov. 6 - Black Box Theatre - Galway
Nov. 8 - Beacon - Bristol
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 3:10 PM.