Sheffield’s Jarvis Cocker delays new album and UK tour – ‘We will prevail’

The Sheffield-born former Pulp frontman was preparing to launch ‘Beyond The Pale’ – the first LP by his new band JARV IS… – on May 1.

However, the album’s release has now been pushed back to September 4 while Britain and the rest of the world faces the Covid-19 pandemic.

A series of live dates in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol and London have also been rescheduled for November.

“JARV IS… making adjustments,” said a statement issued via Cocker’s record label Rough Trade.

“Like everyone else we are trying to make sense of this new reality. So: the JARV IS… tour has been postponed. Those who bought tickets for the May tour will be able to use them for entry to these shows, obvs.

“It’s a drag to have to make these changes but we’re sure you understand why they’re necessary. We are looking into ways of doing some kind of “virtual performances” in the interim. We miss you.”

Cocker pointed out that his new song ‘House Music All Night Long’, recently issued as a taster for the upcoming album, has proved to be eerily prescient.

“In the meantime you can keep fit while cooped up indoors by dancing to ‘House Music All Night Long’. Suddenly lines such as “Saturday Night Cabin Fever in House Nation” and “Goddam this claustrophobia!” have taken on a new meaning – but a domestic disco really is quite a pleasant method of passing the time.

“Stay safe – we will prevail! JARV IS… with you - now more than ever.”

In the first instalment of a series on his partner Kim Sion’s Instagram account, Cocker has shared a list of his five favourite films to watch while self-isolating. These are Kes, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Batman Returns, the documentary Glastonbury Fayre and director Luchino Visconti’s historical epic The Leopard.

Cocker has also written a book about creativity, This Book Is A Song, which is still set for publication in October.