Legendary Scottish rock band Simple Minds have released acclaimed new album Direction of the Heart via BMG. Direction of the Heart is the band’s eighteenth studio album and Simple Minds’ first album of new material since 2018’s outstanding UK Top 5 album Walk Between Worlds.

Currently playing acclaimed shows throughout Europe, Direction Of The Heart is Simple Minds’ first album of new material since 2018’s outstanding Walk Between Worlds, their first Top 5 album in over 20 years.

The album's opening track, ‘Vision Thing’ sets the pace for a concise nine-track album. With music written by Charlie Burchill and lyrics by frontman Jim Kerr the song is a tribute to Kerr’s “best pal”, his late father who passed away in 2019.

Jim Kerr said: “How to make a feel-good ‘Electro-rock’ record, during the very worst of times? Direction Of The Heart is the result of that challenge. Who would have thought we’d have so much fun creating it?”

Most of Direction Of The Heart’s tracks were created and demoed in Sicily, where both Kerr and Burchill live. Unable to come to the UK because of quarantine rules, the album was recorded at Hamburg’s Chameleon Studios. Here they produced the album (later enlisting Andy Wright ((Massive Attack, Echo & The Bunnymen)) and Gavin Goldberg ((Simply Red, KT Tunstall)) for additional production).

Band members, bassist Ged Grimes (who co-wrote two of the new songs, ‘First You Jump’ and ‘Solstice Kiss’), drummer Cherisse Osei, and vocalist Sarah Brown joined them on some of the tracks, recording their parts separately in London. Album guests, Sparks’ frontman Russell Mael (‘Human Traffic’) and songwriter and former Grimes music partner from Danny Wilson, Gary Clark (‘Vision Thing’, ‘First You Jump’ and ‘Natural’), recorded their respective parts in home studios.