The Balance
The Balance is the third studio album by Welsh band Catfish and the Bottlemen. It was released on 26 April 2019 through Island Records in the United Kingdom and Capitol Records in the United States. It was preceded by the lead single "Longshot", which reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart, also becoming the band's highest-charting song on the chart. The album was supported by a European tour, which began in April 2019. The Balance received mixed reviews from critics. The album is also the last album to feature drummer Bob Hall and guitarist Johnny Bond, who both left in 2021.
Background
Following the release of 'The Ride' on 27 May 2016, the band played a world tour which included their first ever headlining UK arena tour including The SSE Arena, Wembley. During this tour, Van McCann teased a third album and said that they would begin to record it by the end of 2017. In 2018 the band headlined "This is Tomorrow" festival and played a sold out show at Cardiff Castle with support from Twin Atlantic.On 25 June 2018 the band announced their second headlining show at The SSE Arena, Wembley which would be postponed to fit in with a sold out UK and Ireland tour in February 2019. On 8 January 2019 the band premiered the first single from 'The Balance' entitled 'Longshot' through Future Sounds With Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. McCann revealed that "Longshot" was the first song they recorded for the album, but that it was not supposed to be the lead single: "I actually had another one which I thought was stronger, but I turned up to the guys and played them Longshot and they were like: 'What?'" He said that producers "enjoyed it so much they decided to keep it as the first taste of the new record".
The album was officially announced on 25 January 2019 alongside a European tour" The second single 'Fluctuate' was released on 13 February 2019 and was described by McCann in an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 show that the track was one of the "heaviest" tracks the band had done to date.
Van McCann stated about recording with Jacknife Lee at Grouse Lodge studios in Ireland that "It's good when you're completely engulfed in recording in a place like that, living together, because every day and all day it was about the songs. We had fun too; they were the funniest album sessions we've done."