Angels in Science Fiction, the new album from St. Paul & The Broken Bones, is set for release April 21 via ATO Records—pre-save/pre-order here. The record’s first single, “Sea Star,” is out today with an accompanying video, an homage to the band’s home state of Alabama that introduces the album’s themes—life and death, beauty and truth—directed by Gus Black. Watch/share the video here and listen to the new track here.

Of the song, bandleader Paul Janeway says: “‘Sea Star’ comes from a story told to me when I was young. The story goes that there was a man on the seashore, picking up starfish that had washed up and throwing them back into the sea.

A person walked by and said, ‘Sir, you’re not going to make a dent in this. It’s not possible.’ The man chucked a starfish into the ocean and said, ‘I made a difference for that one.’ Then picked up another one, threw it into the ocean and again said, ‘I made a difference for that one.’

I think about that story a lot in my own life, and I hope that the moral is one that I teach my child: ‘Try your best to make a difference, starting with the people that are around you.’ My daughter is a strong tide that has pulled me back in. Having a child can give people a feeling of redemption, and a renewed sense of purpose—especially when they’re feeling lost and empty. That theme found its way into ‘Sea Star.’”

Angels in Science Fiction was written in the span of a few weeks after Paul Janeway learned that his wife was pregnant with their daughter, Marigold. Following the examples set by greats like Aristotle, William James and John Steinbeck, Janeway penned the album as a series of letters to his then-unborn daughter.

“A few people told me it would be a good idea to write letters to my yet to be born daughter before she arrived into the world,” says Janeway. “That is what Angels in Science Fiction is. Themes throughout the album are faith, nature vs nurture, anxiety and beauty. This is a record I would have written whether I did this for a living or not. I don’t know if those records come along all the time.”

The album was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee and was produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, John Prine, Elvis Presley). It follows the band’s critically acclaimed 2022 album, The Alien Coast.

In celebration of the new music, St. Paul & The Broken Bones have embarked on a run of U.S., European and Australian shows that continues throughout the year—visit stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/shows for a complete list of dates with more to be announced soon.

Founded in Birmingham, Alabama in 2011, St. Paul & The Broken Bones consists of Paul Janeway (vocals), Jesse Phillips (bass), Browan Lollar (guitar), Kevin Leon (drums), Al Gamble (keyboards), Allen Branstetter (trumpet), Chad Fisher (trombone), and Amari Ansari (saxophone). The eight-piece ensemble burst into the world with their 2014 debut, Half the City, establishing a sound that quickly became a calling card and landing the band a slew of major festivals including Lollapalooza, Coachella and Glastonbury. Critical praise from The New York Times, Rolling Stone, SPIN and NPR followed, leading to shared stages with some of the world’s biggest artists—Elton John and The Rolling Stones among them—and launching an impressive run of headlining tours behind what Esquire touted as a “potent live show that knocks audiences on their ass.”

The group has continued to expand their sound with every record, branching out well beyond old-school soul into sleek summertime funk and classic disco on albums like 2018’s Young Sick Camellia. Their forthcoming LP, Angels in Science Fiction, stretches their limbs further afield, building on the shadowy psychedelia and intricate, experimental R&B of 2022’s The Alien Coast. The new record finds Janeway at his very best. With Angels in Science Fiction, St. Paul & The Broken Bones have crafted their most moving, comprehensive work—spanning their entire sonic and emotional scope.

PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES—ANGELS IN SCIENCE FICTION

1. Chelsea
2. City Federal Building
3. Magnolia Trees
4. Sea Star
5. Heat Lightning
6. Angels in Science Fiction
7. Wolf in Rabbit Clothes
8. South Dakota
9. Oporto-Madrid Blvd
10. Lonely Love Song
11. Easter Bunny
12. Marigold
13. TOUR DATES

February 8—Fort Lauderdale, FL—Culture Room*
February 10—Mobile, AL—Soul Kitchen Music Hall*
March 30—Savannah, GA—Savannah Music Festival
March 31—Macon, GA—Hargray Capitol Theatre
March 31-April 1—New Orleans, LA—Hogs For The Cause
April 6-10—Tyagarah, Australia—Byron Bay BluesFest
April 10—Melbourne, Australia—Forum Theatre†
April 11— Melbourne, Australia—Northcote Theatre†
April 13—Sydney, Australia—Enmore Theatre†
April 29 – Decatur, GA – Amplify Decatur Festival
May 20-21—Knoxville, TN—Southern Skies Festival
May 21—Greenville, SC—Peace Pavilion
May 23—Augusta, GA—Miller Theatre
May 25—Wilmington, NC—Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
May 25-28—Cumberland, MD—DelFest
May 25-28—Martinsville, VA—Rooster Walk 13
June 17-18—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival
June 23—Greenfield, MA—Green River Festival
July 23—Stuttgart, Germany—Jazz Open Stuttgart
August 25—Tisbury, MA—Beach Road Weekend

*with Rett Madison
†with Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats