VONA VELLA announce new album + share title track 'Carnival'
new single CARNIVAL out now
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
new album CARNIVAL 27th February 2026
UK and EU SHOWS (including Babyshambles supports)
"The latest band to break from the cultural hotbed of Nottingham." Under The Radar
"These aren’t just musicians; these are bonafide rock stars in the making." The Indie Scene
"The kaleidoscopic charm of indie-pop’s celebrated C86 era while feeling effortlessly fresh." Backseat Mafia
Nottingham-based five-piece Vona Vella are delighted to announce the release of their new album Carnival, through Strap Originals, on Friday 27th February. The title-track is out now through Strap Originals and is available here.
Watch the eye-popping Carnival VIDEO, directed by renowned music photographer and filmmaker Roger Sargent (The Libertines, Fat White Family, Baxter Dury), who shot Vona Vella at Nottingham Goose Fair one night in September.
Despite being unreleased until now, Carnival is featured on the hugely successful NBA2K 26 video game and has picked up word of mouth buzz, with many citing it as their favourite song on the game. Carnival is the third song to be lifted from the album, along with Bear Trap VIDEO and Over And Over VIDEO, both of which picked up support at Radio One, BBC6 Music, Apple Music and Radio X.
The forthcoming album Carnival, produced by Jason Stafford (Jamie T, Sports Team, The Libertines) is a sparkling evolution, a heady distillation of spangling guitars and sumptuous art-pop, those glorious vocals entwined, forever the DNA double helix of their signature sound. The album is available on vinyl, CD and digitally and is available to preorder here.
The full Carnival album tracklisting is:
1. Carnival
2. Bass Driver
3. You Can Be So Ugly
4. Come By
5. Over and Over
6. I Wanna Tap Into Your Heaven Again
7. Exit Plan
8. Settle Down
9. Brand New Boy
10. Selfish Dogs
11. Falling In A Sleeping Wind
12. Bear Trap
13. Bottled
Of the towering new single, vocalist and songwriter Dan Cunningham says: “It was written when life was getting on top of me and I felt that my head was spinning out of control. I use the funfair as a metaphor because the overstimulating scenes there reflected my emotional state. The verse is Izzy [bandmate and partner] reassuring me that I'll get through it."
On their new album Vona Vella are exploring darker extremities than they were on their wistful indie-pop self titled debut album (2023). Their debut was written when the band’s co-founding members - Izzy Davis and Dan Cunningham - were still living at home. Meanwhile, the forthcoming album was written amid the stumbling first steps into adulthood, the pair living in three locations – their base in Nottingham, London for a year, and a spell back where they grew up [Loughborough]. “We were always moving and not really settling,” says Izzy. “But being OK with it.” “We were living out of bags for two years,” says Dan, “but that was an inspiration for writing. Because to be honest we just ran out of money!" From these hectic circumstances, the album title emerged. “Carnival, it’s like in life, you’re going round in circles and everything’s kind of blurry,” says Izzy. “But it’s really colourful, really beautiful as well.” “You’re enjoying the ride,” says Dan, “but you’re not sure what’s really going on!”
Vona Vella are championed by Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and John Kennedy at Radio X and have supported The Libertines, Peter Doherty, Tim Burgess and Hak Baker. Vona Vella own and run a DIY music venue in Nottingham where they make regular live appearances. In October, the band warmed up for the following live dates with a gig on a barge trip down the River Trent, with a handful of fans handpicked to join them.
November
5th Riga, Riga Music Week
6th Riga, Ex Libris
8th Nottingham, Bodega (w/Big Shoes)
13th Bristol, Exchange
14th London, Jaguar Shoes
19th Nottingham, The Grove
20th Leeds, Royal Park Cellars
24th Oxford, 02 Academy (w/Babyshambles)
27th Cardiff, Tramshed (w/Babyshambles)
December
12th Paris, Supersonic
January
14th London, Windmill
31st Edinburgh, Cowgate Block Party
Vona Vella was started by singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Izzy and Dan and officially formed as a band in Autumn 2020, after Ross Godfrey from Morcheeba heard their single Sun and decided to remix it. Once released it proved an instant viral hit, racking up over a million streams in the blink of an eye.
Vona Vella are: Dan Cunningham (vocals, guitar, piano), Izzy Davis (vocals, guitar, flute), Jake Bott (drums), Claud J Melton (bass), Dexter Howell (guitar).
