Modern Nature share "Zoology" from new acclaimed new album "The Heat Warps" - out today via Bella Union!

Modern Nature release their eagerly anticipated and highly acclaimed new album The Heat Warps today via Bella Union; a deceivingly encouraging collection through which Jack Cooper – the band’s main creative force – continues to explore themes of collectivism, our relationship with the natural world and the weight of consciousness with more directness and purpose. Following the singles “Pharaoh”, “Source” and “Alpenglow” today the band share the Lennon-esque LP highlight “Zoology”, a hymn to life on earth, unburdened by human consciousness – listen HERE.

Modern Nature today head off on a short instore tour ahead of a more extensive UK tour in late September and October. The band will then embark on a North American Tour in December and January. All live dates can be found on the band’s website here.

Acclaim for The Heat Warps:

“Their best LP yet... like The Strokes of Is This It trying their hand at metronomic Can jams.” Uncut – 9/10

“Modern Nature’s evolution is remarkable, inspired and constantly engaging.” Shindig – 4 stars ****

“The Heat Warps is Modern Nature’s attempt to plot a steady course through ‘a world of heavy choices’. There are stylistic nods to mid-period Can, 

Adventure-era Television as well as The Cure circa Seventeen Seconds. A steady antidote to chaos.” MOJO

“Meticulous art-pop... the musicianship is impeccable... The Heat Warps feels like a new start for Modern Nature.” Record Collector – 4 stars ****

“Nuggets of musical greatness... The record’s beautiful closer ‘Totality’ showcases the refinement in ideas the band have perfected on this record.” Far Out – 4 stars ****

“A band that creates patterns out of complex fractal parts and limpid beauty out of multiplicity.” Bandcamp – Album of the Day

“A minor key delight that rewards attention and emotional openness. The final track ‘Totality’ cogently summarises what makes Modern Nature’s current iteration so charming,

a song rendered with wide-eyed, unhurried beauty and fragile melodicism.” Silent Radio

“A subtle glory... There are highlights across the album, the excellent, spindly guitar work on ‘Glance’ and ‘Takeover’, while the moody, downbeat ‘Source’

features gorgeous instrumentation and singing.” No More Workhorse

“Compelling... understated yet soulful... They’re slowly but surely growing into one of our most interesting bands.” PROG

“The Heat Warps represents elegantly refined and soulful avant-folk, skilfully establishing a scene, place and mood that is peppered with understated beauty.” Aesthetica

“A wonderful treasure to uncover: a gentle set full of hooks and summer vibes.” HiFi Choice – 4 stars ****

“Modern Nature’s new four-piece core, newly anchored by Tara Cunningham’s shimmering dual guitar and vocal interplay, locks into grooves that pulse with clarity.” NARC

(photo credit: Michael Stasiak)

When Modern Nature toured their last album, 2023’s No Fixed Point In Space, it became apparent to Jack Cooper – the band’s main creative force – that they were already pulling away from the free, open-ended approach they had spent five years working towards; almost as if the music had become so abstract and elasticated, it now had to snap back towards something more structured. As they found themselves naturally locking into more fixed grooves, he realised a new direction had been set. Their new album – The Heat Warps – is the triumphant manifestation of where that new direction took them.

In the aftermath, Cooper’s songwriting, which had become increasingly impressionistic, found a new focus and the idea of making an album that followed a similar path to the last two increasingly seemed somewhat obtuse. The purpose was to forge a radical change. The core trio of him, Jim Wallis (drums) and Jeff Tobias (bass guitar) were augmented by a new guitarist – Tara Cunningham. 

Modern Nature’s recent records have reflected an insular life. Cooper had moved out to the countryside in 2021 and had, in his words, been “hibernating” while he started a family. He felt this new band was a symbol for his reawakening and the perfect vessel for him to continue to explore themes that he’s sung about with Modern Nature – collectivism, our relationship with the natural world, the weight of consciousness – but with more directness and purpose. The key was the new dual guitar sound.

In the time Modern Nature has been a band, the world has undoubtedly changed. The words Cooper had been writing previously were somewhat ambiguous but it had started to feel like he was sitting on the fence and that was something he needed to address.

“The community we’ve built our life around – artists, musicians and the people who gravitate to these things as way of communicating – are struggling to reconcile how they fit into an increasingly cruel world. This album, the themes and the lyrics are directed towards them because I think there are still reasons to be optimistic. There are amazing things happening all around us and it’s up to communities like ours to double down on the things we believe in. It feels as if being part of a group like Modern Nature and making an album that’s open, optimistic and ambitious is in itself part of the solution.”

Instore shows:

Friday 29 August – World of Echo – London – 5.30pm TICKETS

Saturday 30 August – Rough Trade – Denmark St (London) – 5.30pm TICKETS

Sunday 31 August – Truck – Oxford – 5.00pm TICKETS

Monday 1 September – Pie & Vinyl – Portsmouth – 1.00pm TICKETS

Monday 1 September – Vinilo – Southampton – 7.00pm TICKETS

Tuesday 2 September – South – Southend – 5.00pm TICKETS

UK Tour:

Saturday 27 September – Blackpool – Bootleg Social tickets

Monday 29 September – Glasgow – The Old Hairdressers tickets

Tuesday 30 September – York – The Crescent  tickets

Wednesday 1 October – Sunderland – Pop Recs tickets

Thursday 2 October – Liverpool – Rough Trade tickets

Friday 3 October – Sheffield – Sidney & Matilda tickets

Saturday 4 October – Norwich – The Holloway tickets

Sunday 5 October – Coventry – Just Dropped In Records tickets

Monday 6 October – London – St Matthias Church tickets

Wednesday 8 October – Brighton – Alphabet tickets

Thursday 9 October – Ipswich – Smokehouse tickets

Friday 10 October – Wendover – British Legion tickets

The Heat Warps album artwork:

1. Pharaoh

2. Radio

3. Glance

4. Source

5. Jetty

6. Alpenglow

7. Zoology

8. Takeover

9. Totality