Norfolk blues-rockers Bad Touch share details of their eagerly anticipated fifth studio album, Bittersweet Satisfaction, set for release on November 10th, 2023 via Marshall Records.
Accompanying the announcement is the band’s new single / video "Nothing Wrong With That". Fans can stream the new single and pre-order the album here.
Bittersweet Satisfaction sees Bad Touch back, bigger, and bolder than ever before. The band combines classic rock riffs with choruses destined for stadiums, and their signature fun loving attitude to create a some of their best work to date. The record is a ray of positive energy, a celebration of living in the moment and leaving your troubles at the door.
“We are a feel-good, good-time rock’n’roll band.” So says guitarist Daniel “Seeks” Seekings, and really, why does it need to be more complicated than that? It’s been recorded and finished for half a year, and – with a more polished, mainstream sound than they’ve explored before, but still with its roots in the classic rock of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and The Black Crowes – the band are bursting to let it loose on the world.
“We've never sat on anything that long because we're like kids in a candy shop, as soon as we write something, we want to get out there and play stuff,” says frontman Stevie Westwood. “So, it's very exciting. It's slightly more mature. I love every song. It's a different sound for Bad Touch. It's less balls-to-the-wall rock, and the songs seem a bit more thoughtful rather than just kind of exploded out of a tin can.”
Speaking on their latest single "Nothing Wrong With That" the band adds: “We’re delighted to present to the world our new single” exclaims Stevie. “It’s a song for everyone that encompasses the Bad Touch mantra ‘as long as you carry a song in your heart, and a smile on your face, then nothing can get you down.’”
“This song came together during a time when there was a lot of unrest, fear of the unknown, and we all were just getting through day by day, in whatever way we could. A time when we felt the world could use a little lift to somewhere a little bit brighter. So whatever is getting you down, this song is here to say you’re not alone, we are with you, and whatever way you need to get through the bad times… a good book, some good company… or some good wine!… we say… there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Bittersweet Satisfaction finds Bad Touch with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.
Recorded at The Marshall Studio in Milton Keynes, it was self-produced by the band, engineered by Marshall’s Adam Beer and Ollie Brightman, then mixed in Wales by Motörhead / Bring Me The Horizon producer Romesh Dodangoda, who has made the drums sound suitably immense. A collection of classic rock anthems with heart and soul to spare, it’s sparked grand but relatable ambitions in the Bad Touch camp, a desire to give up the day jobs and dedicate their lives to rock’n’roll, and maybe even, Seeks hopes, have a shot at hitting the charts. Really, though, it’s all about the live experience, the coming together of likeminded people to celebrate the healing powers of music.
“I love meeting new people,” says Seeks. “The ultimate thing is being on stage. Especially if you've got a roomful of people who are really enjoying the music that you've created.”
“There are so many people that come up and shake my hand and go, ‘Your music has really helped me’, and that's a really special thing,” adds Westwood. “I think that's why music resonates with people; they want to feel that their emotions are validated. That's what I always long for when I come to songwriting – I want to write a song that someone can resonate with and go, ‘I've been here, and this is not necessarily a lovely place, but as long as there's someone else who's feeling the same emotions, then at least I'm not alone.’ Doing the nine-to-five is okay, as long as you got a Bad Touch gig at the end of the week.”
Bittersweet Satisfaction artwork and tracklisting:
"Slip Away"
"This Life"
"Spend My Days"
"Bittersweet Satisfaction"
"Nothing Wrong With That"
"Taste This"
"Tonight"
"Come Back Again"
"See It To Believe It"
"Dizzy For You"
(Photo courtesy of Blackham Images)
