Midlake have announced their sixth studio album, A Bridge To Far, due out on 7 November on Bella Union. The record is preceded by the first single, “The Ghouls”.

Written during a period of uncertainty about the future of the legendary psych-folk band, the song was the spark that encouraged Midlake to continue with a renewed sense of unity and shared purpose. Recorded at The Echo Lab in Denton and produced by Sam Evian, the sessions for A Bridge To Far were instinctive and unforced. “Everything felt effortless and authentic,” Eric Pulido says. “We didn’t overthink things.” That ease translated into a sound both atmospheric and grounded—cinematic without excess, deeply felt without sentimentality.

Pulido names “Valley of Roseless Thorns” as a particularly emotional touchstone, reflecting the band’s own truths in veiled poetic form. “There’s a tinge of reality in that one,” he admits. Musically, the band embraced spontaneity. Jesse Chandler and Sam Evian’s duelling saxophones on “The Calling” brought an unexpected burst of colour—“like we went to Chicago World for a minute,” Pulido jokes. “Days Gone By” shifted notably from its original demo, trading its driving tempo for a more meditative, trance-like feel that sets the album’s tone from the outset. And while Midlake’s past records have often carried clear stylistic reference points, this one feels more distilled. “The reference and inspiration is Midlake,” Pulido says. “This album is less about referencing someone else’s sound and more about sounding like us.”

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