Hull alternative four-piece LIFE are back with Turning In, the second taste of their eagerly awaited fourth album ‘Abstract / Natural’, due June 19th via Launchpad+ in partnership with EMI North. And if the lead single The Dollywaggon came out swinging, this one pulls you close — it’s reflective, spacious, and quietly devastating.
Built around a steady, almost disco-like groove, ‘Turning In’ pairs understated electronic textures with a wandering bassline and arrangements that slowly bloom into a widescreen, layered outro. It’s the kind of song that earns its crescendo.
Vocalist Mez Sanders-Green wrote it about fatherhood — specifically, a morning on the Isle of Mull with his young son:
“This song is about fatherhood and parenting. The lyrics describe an adventure with my little boy on the island of Mull in Scotland. It’s about me and my lad hunkered down in a tent and waking to hear him chatting outside. He told me he was talking to a heron. To this day I don’t know if he was – whenever I see a Heron I now get goosebumps. The universal theme is about togetherness; fitting together, sharing moments, and always wanting to be there for someone you love. Sonically, we tried to make the track sound big, wide, and expansive to help tell the story of the lyrics.”
The accompanying video — directed by Hinterland Creative and shot on the headland above the East Yorkshire coast — leans hard into that expansiveness, letting windswept coastal landscapes dance around abstract and monolithic structures. It’s a beautiful watch.
Turning In fits neatly into the bigger picture of ‘Abstract / Natural’ — an album that began not in a rehearsal room but in a poetry book frontman Mez has been writing. Musings on landscape, nature, love, and letting go eventually became what he described as “wonky lullabies,” and from there the band — Stewart Baxter, Lydia Palmeira, and Mick Sanders — built the music around them. Hills, ridges, and landmarks became characters: Hen Comb, Pavey Arc, Sergeant Man, The Grey Friar, The Dollywaggon. It’s a fully-realised world, and we’re only getting glimpses of it so far.
Produced by Stewart Baxter and Oliver Varga, mixed by James Kenosha, and mastered by Stephen Kerrison, the album was recorded at LIFE’s own Hull studio The Moon Factory — a space they built themselves on the banks of the river, now run as a creative hub for emerging Northern artists. Very on-brand.
‘Abstract / Natural’ Tracklist
- Wild Grasses
- The Dollywaggon
- Turning In
- Thistles Kiss
- Mermaid Feet
- My Yan
- Drinking Games
- Sun In Nancy
- Buried Giant
- Morning Fog
Live Dates
June / July
- Tue June 23 — Brighton, Resident
- Wed June 24 — London, Rough Trade East
- Thu June 25 — Liverpool, Jacaranda
- Fri June 26 — Leeds, Jumbo Records
- Fri–Sun July 24–26 — Deer Shed Festival, North Yorkshire
October UK Tour
- Thu Oct 1 — Newcastle, The Grove
- Fri Oct 2 — Lincoln, Southside
- Sat Oct 3 — Hebden Bridge, Trades Club
- Tue Oct 6 — London, Moth Club
- Wed Oct 7 — Southampton, The Joiners
- Thu Oct 8 — Bristol, Strange Dove
- Fri Oct 9 — Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
Tickets on sale now.
‘Abstract / Natural’ is out June 19, 2026 via Launchpad+ / EMI North. Pre-order / pre-save [PLACEHOLDER URL]
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