The Molotovs announce second album ‘Welcome To Urbia’ with “moody and driving” single ‘Urbia’
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London punk duo The Molotovs have announced their second album, 'Welcome To Urbia', due for release on 9 April 2027, alongside its lead single 'Urbia', released today (4 September). The single marks what the band call "the second phase" following their UK Number Three debut 'Wasted On Youth', released in January, and reflects a deliberate shift towards a moodier, more expansive sound as siblings Issey and Mathew Cartlidge move on from their breakthrough record.
'Urbia' was recorded at north London's Konk Studios, founded by The Kinks, and produced by Tony Hoffer, known for his work with Beck, The Kooks and M83. The band, who have played almost 700 shows in the past five years, said the track was inspired by the towns they have visited while touring. A full tracklist has not yet been revealed, but the duo are currently on a UK and Ireland headline tour, including two O2 Forum Kentish Town dates, and will later support Razorlight on their 20th-anniversary 'America' tour.
- The Molotovs' second album 'Welcome To Urbia' arrives 9 April 2027
- New single 'Urbia' released today, recorded at Konk Studios
- Band to support Razorlight's 20th-anniversary tour later this year
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The Molotovs are a London punk duo made up of siblings Issey and Mathew Cartlidge. They built their following through relentless live performance, having played close to 700 shows over five years, and broke through earlier this year with a debut album, 'Wasted On Youth', which reached Number Three in the UK charts.
Since that debut, the pair have kept up a heavy touring schedule, including dates supporting other acts, while working on new material. Their music is generally rooted in punk but has been produced in collaboration with notable industry figures, linking them to a lineage of British guitar music recorded at storied studios.
This is significant for the band because it marks the start of a follow-up era after a strong chart debut, a period often seen as a test of whether a young act can sustain its momentum. It also matters to fans and the wider music industry as an indicator of how far the duo's sound and profile will develop beyond their breakout year.
Full account
The Molotovs, the London teenage sibling duo of Issey and Mathew Cartlidge, have announced their second studio album, 'Welcome To Urbia', due for release on 9 April 2027. The record follows their debut 'Wasted On Youth', which reached number three in the UK Albums Chart earlier this year. Alongside the announcement, the pair have released the album's first single, 'Urbia', which they say marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band.
The track was recorded at north London's Konk Studios, the facility founded by The Kinks, with production duties handled by Tony Hoffer, whose past credits include Beck, The Kooks, M83 and Belle & Sebastian. Mathew Cartlidge said the song emerged quickly and pushed the band in a fresh direction, describing it as carrying 'real energy' thanks to broadening influences absorbed on the road. Issey Cartlidge characterised the track as building steadily from a 'moody and driving', almost industrial verse into a chorus that opens up into something sweeter.
The single draws on the pair's punishing touring schedule, reportedly encompassing close to 700 shows over the past five years, and reflects impressions gathered from the many towns and cities they have passed through. They are presently on a headline tour of the UK and Ireland, taking in venues from Nottingham and Brighton to Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast and Dublin, with two nights booked at London's O2 Forum Kentish Town this month. Later in the year they are due to join Razorlight as support on that band's twentieth-anniversary tour marking the 'America' album.
Discussing the themes behind their debut earlier this year, Mathew Cartlidge described 'Wasted On Youth' as something of a manifesto for young people, encouraging them to take an active role in improving their surroundings rather than waiting for change to come from elsewhere. He pointed to the neglect he has observed in seaside and rural towns visited on tour, while arguing that responsibility for renewal rests with both government and individuals. The band also recently performed a free, David Bowie-themed show at London's King's Cross as part of the area's Summer Sounds series, and a full tracklisting for 'Welcome To Urbia' has yet to be confirmed.
Where outlets differ
The two reports differ slightly on the debut album's chart placement, with one stating it reached 'UK Number Three' and the other 'No.03' in the UK Albums Chart — effectively the same figure but phrased differently.
Only one source names the record label (Marshall Records) and identifies the producer (Tony Hoffer) and studio (Konk Studios), while the other omits label and production credits entirely.
One outlet provides extensive background context, including quotes from an earlier interview about the debut album's 'youth manifesto' themes and details of a recent King's Cross show and a Razorlight support tour, none of which appear in the other report.
The second source instead offers a fuller, itemised list of UK and Ireland tour dates and adds more subjective editorial description of the single (comparing it to The Jam), whereas the first source keeps commentary more restrained and factual.
Only one report mentions the near-700-show touring statistic underpinning the album's inspiration.
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