Not ready to meet his maker just yet, Mike Peters of The Alarm has emerged victorious in his battle against pneumonia and leukemia relapse and is triumphantly celebrating his return to the land of the living with a brand new album, Forwards, and the video for the LP’s title track.
“I literally took my guitar into [the] hospital with me,” says Peters. “I was on the ward for such a long time, I started writing these songs in between IV sessions and the first people to hear the music were the very people who were trying to keep me alive.”
Despite this debilitating illness, Mike Peters refused to let his creativity falter. In the studio between hospital stays, the singer and his bandmates, guided by producer George Williams, created ten life-affirming Alarm tracks, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Through music, Peters proved that grave adversity could not silence his creative impulse.
“I’ve been to places only deep suffering can take the human spirit and, in the darkness, I clung onto every piece of light I could find to work my way back to life. This was the energy that drove me to write and record Forwards.”
Watch the video for “Forwards” below:
In the album’s press release, Peters is grateful for the time gifted to him to release this record:
“A lot of artists have to kill to make a record like Forwards and with the challenges that came my way in 2022. I certainly had to kill or be killed to realize the ambition in these songs. It was literally life or death making this record. I’ve already taken so much from life, that when I was in the hospital stricken with chronic illness, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be spared another opportunity to live. Fortunately for me, I was granted more time on earth and the challenge remains as ever, to make the most of every single second — forwards.”
The highly-anticipated 10-track album, Forwards, drops on June 2nd across all digital platforms, complete with hi-res and Dolby Atmos editions. For those who crave a more tactile listening experience, the album will also be available on both CD and LP, the vinyl version featuring two distinct sleeves and pressed on colored vinyl. The classic “green-and-white star white” pressing will be widely available, while the limited-edition “unique metallic green vinyl” pressing is an exclusive offering for independent record store enthusiasts.
Mike Peters will lead The Alarm headlong towards two concerts at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City on June 23 and 24. These two “Gathering” concerts are now on sale through Live Nation here.
- Jun 23 Gramercy Theater New York, NY
- Jun 24 Gramercy Theater New York, NY
The Alarm, Forwards Tracklist:
1. “Forwards”
2. “The Returning”
3. “Another Way”
4. “Love and Forgiveness”
5. “Next”
6. “Whatever”
7. “Transition”
8. “Love Disappearing”
9. “New Standards”
10. “X”
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