Citizen are back in motion, and they’re not easing into it.
The Ohio outfit have announced their new album Halcyon Blues, set to land August 7th via Run For Cover/Civilians, alongside a fresh single ‘Highs and Lows’ and a full scale Australian tour for February 2027 with Drug Church in tow.
It’s a stacked return from a band that’s spent nearly two decades refusing to sit still.
‘Highs and Lows’ kicks open a new era
The lead single ‘Highs and Lows’ leans into everything Citizen have been building toward, it starts low and murky, driven by a pulsing bassline, before cracking open into a widescreen chorus that feels built for packed rooms and late night drives.
It’s not a radical reinvention, it’s feels sharper than that, the band sound locked in, pulling from across their catalogue rather than chasing trends, watch the video below:
‘Halcyon Blues’ pulls from every phase of Citizen
Seventeen years deep, Citizen still carry that outsider edge, from scrappy emo beginnings to heavier post-hardcore swings and more melodic alt-rock turns, they’ve never stayed in one lane for long.
Halcyon Blues looks set to stitch those threads together, recorded by vocalist Mat Kerekes and mixed by Tom Lorde-Alge, the record taps into the urgency of their early work while keeping the bigger hooks of their later releases intact.
“A lot of bands try to do anything they can to be the hottest thing of the moment and we’ve just never operated like that,” says guitarist Nick Hamm. “We don’t think in moments, or months, or record cycles. Some bands end up getting sick of whatever walls they exist in, but I see Citizen as this long term creative project where there’s always somewhere new to go, and that’s kept me exhilarated through all these years. And we’ve trusted that people who like our band will want to come along. A lot of people grew with us and we’re really thankful for that.”
It’s a grounded take, but it tracks, Citizen have never been about quick wins.
Citizen ‘Halcyon Blues’ Track list
1. Good Fortune
2. I Can See You From Here
3. Halcyon Blues
4. Is It In My Brain
5. Always The Last One to Leave
6. Either Way
7. Matador
8. Ether
9. Smooth Talker
10. Highs and Lows
11. Anne
Pre order here.
Citizen 2027 Australia Tour
CITIZEN (US) Halcyon Blues Australian Tour 2027
with very special guests DRUG CHURCH (US)
- Friday, February 26th – Brisbane, The Tivoli (Lic AA)
- Saturday, February 27th – Sydney, Liberty Hall (Lic AA)
- Sunday, February 28th – Melbourne, Forum (18+)
- Wednesday, March 3rd – Adelaide, The Gov (Lic AA)
- Thursday, March 4th – Perth, Magnet House (18+)
Tickets are live this Friday, May 1st via Destroy All Lines.
After last hitting Australia for New Bloom Festival in 2024, Citizen are returning with their biggest headline run yet, backed by Drug Church.
Drug Church’s blend of jagged aggression and hook-heavy song writing makes them a fitting pairing, especially given their reputation for pushing against the grain.
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