Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, PIAS Forge Exclusive License

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds will release its next album through Play It Again Sam, an imprint of the independent [PIAS] label group.

Cave’s own label Bad Seed strikes an exclusive, worldwide license with the independent music group for the release of Wild God, due out Aug. 30.

In these parts, the album will be worked by [PIAS] Australia, formed in 2021 following the indie company’s acquisition of Inertia Music, the Sydney-based distribution, services and recorded music company, now led by Ben Suthers.

Wild God is the 18th studio album from the ARIA Hall of Famer, and the follow-up to 2019’s Ghosteen, which peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart, No. 4 on the Official U.K. Chart and impacted the Billboard 200, at No. 108.

Ghosteen was nominated for a string of honours, including NME Awards, AIM Awards, Ivor Novello Awards, AIR Awards and was shortlisted for the 15th annual Australian Music Prize.

“I have been a massive fan of Nick Cave since the early days of Play It Again Sam when we were importing his Birthday Party albums and it is the realization of a long held dream to partner with one of my all-time musical heroes,” comments Kenny Gates, co-founder and CEO of [PIAS].

“We are all so excited to work with him and his team who will bring expertise, experience and loads of passion to the creative journey we are about to embark on together. The new album is incredible, in my opinion his best ever, and we will go over the barricades to deliver the global success it deserves.”

Alongside Cave, the current band line-up consists of Thomas Wydler, Martyn Casey, Jim Sclavunos, George Vjestica and Warren Ellis, who toured the country with the legendary frontman in late 2022 for the Carnage trek.

To celebrate the release, Cave and Co. release its title track.

With Wild God, “there’s no fucking around with this record,” says Cave in a statement. “When it hits, it hits. It lifts you. It moves you. I love that about it. I hope the album has the effect on listeners that it’s had on me. It bursts out of the speaker, and I get swept up with it.”

The forthcoming collection was produced by Cave and Ellis, and mixed by David Fridmann, from sessions at Miraval Studios in Provence, France and Soundtree Studios in London.

Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar) contribute to the Wild God. Greenwood will accompany Cave on a national solo trek this April and May, presented by Billions — his only Australian tour this year.