This week, rock royalty No Doubt, have returned with new music taken from their forthcoming album Push And Shove which will be released in September, and will be the band’s first studio album since their 2001 record Rock Steady. The first single ‘Settle Down’ was premiered on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show in the US on Monday, followed by the official video on Tuesday.
The band formed in 1986 in Anaheim, California, and released their debut self-titled ska-rock album in 1992 to little success. However, their second studio album Tragic Kingdom heralded singles such as ‘Just A Girl’, ‘Spiderwebs’, and ‘Don’t Speak’, which was number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for a record 16 weeks in 1996. Following extensive touring, Return Of Saturn was released in 2000 which displayed a darker tone but the band were unable to replicate the success of their previous record. Despite this, their more upbeat 2001 album Rock Steady which featured singles such as ‘Hey Baby’ and ‘Underneath It All’ was a lot more popular.
After further touring in the years after Rock Steady, the band went on hiatus in 2004 so that Gwen Stefani could pursue her solo career by releasing Love. Angel. Music. Baby in 2004 and The Sweet Escape in 2006. Both of the albums were incredibly successful and included hit singles ‘Hollaback Girl’, ‘What You Waiting For’, ‘Rich Girl’ and ‘Sweet Escape’. Combining the sales of her solo career and her success with No Doubt, Stefani has now sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
In 2008 the band reformed to begin work on their sixth album, and in 2009 went on a tour across Canada and the United States with Paramore, Janelle Monáe, Bedouin Soundclash, Katy Perry, Panic! At the Disco and others. Earlier this year the band announced that they had finished recording Push And Shove.
The first single ‘Settle Down’ is an upbeat, ska-rock style track which will not disappoint fans of the band’s previous music. The video, directed by Sophie Muller who worked on the promos for ‘Don’t Speak’ and ‘Simple Kind of Life’, sees the band drive to meet up again after leading separate lives for the past 10 years. Stefani can be seen going into a fighting stance as she sings “I’m a rough and tough, and nothing’s gonna knock this girl down” whilst the band members all jump off stage during the instrumental at the end of the video. Dancing on lorries, party scenes, and even a brief cameo from Stefani’s Harajuku girls ensues, adding a party-vibe to the whole song. If this is anything to go by, the album is definitely something to look forward to.
‘Settle Down’ will be released on September 17th and the album Push And Shove will be available from September 24th.
