Nottingham’s Divorce have spent the past few years throwing genre conventions out the window. Their debut album Drive to Goldenhammer – set for release on 7th March 2025 via Gravity/Capitol – cements their status as one of the most exciting new acts to emerge from the UK in recent years.
The album blends indie-rock, folk, chamber pop, and even touches of country and electronic experimentation, all while maintaining an unmistakable sense of identity that feels both distinctly modern and deeply rooted in their Midlands origins.
Since forming in 2021, Divorce have been hard to pin down. The quartet – consisting of Tiger Cohen-Towell (vocals/bass), Felix Mackenzie-Barrow (vocals/guitar), Adam Peter Smith (guitar/synth), and Kasper Sandstrøm (drums) – have crafted a series of genre-defying singles that have caught the attention of critics and fans alike.
Their 2023 Heady Metal EP, released via Gravity Records, earned praise for its eclectic sound and unapologetic creativity. Their ascension feels both earned and inevitable, and Drive to Goldenhammer is the album that promises to solidify their place at the forefront of modern UK music.
The album was written and demoed over the course of a year at The Calm Farm, a rural studio space in North Yorkshire, and it’s clear from the opening moments that this environment shaped the record in profound ways. The band spent months recording at different times of the year, allowing the songs to reflect the passage of time and the changing seasons.
The result is a deeply organic, lived-in record that echoes the warmth of the pastoral landscapes the band immersed themselves in. This sonic intimacy is enhanced by the album’s production, helmed by Catherine Marks (known for her work with boygenius, Wolf Alice, and Foals), which lends the music a natural warmth that complements its emotional depth.
At the heart of Drive to Goldenhammer lies the theme of transformation. Divorce’s journey as a band has been one of constant change, both personally and musically, and the record grapples with the disorienting nature of this evolution. ‘Antarctica‘, the opening track, sets the stage for the album’s themes of movement and upheaval.
The song is built around a powerful narrative: a near-miss with a newborn calf on a remote road in Derbyshire, which serves as a metaphor for the way life can feel chaotic and unpredictable. “We carried her between us, skin and bone / And warmth and fur and afterbirth,” Felix and Tiger’s harmonised vocals capture the intimate, fragile nature of the moment, before the song bursts into a soaring chorus that feels like a release. This raw, emotional centrepiece establishes the emotional landscape of the album, where life’s uncertainties are met with warmth, humour, and a sense of resilience.
The album is dotted with moments of introspection and vulnerability, as well as instances of playful irreverence. Lead single ‘All My Freaks‘ captures the absurdity of the music industry with a sense of British irreverence. The song skewers the egos that often permeate the industry, combining brash synths and punchy guitar riffs with tongue-in-cheek lyrics: “Stepping into no man’s land can be heavy / So I go on the back of my jetski / And science doesn’t impress me.”
It’s a sharp commentary on the contradictions of the artist’s journey – simultaneously self-aware and self-deprecating, yet ultimately confident in its refusal to take itself too seriously. As Tiger explains, ‘All My Freaks‘ is about the trials and tribulations of being an up-and-coming artist, “laughing at our own egos and yet acknowledging the power that they wield.”
Despite the album’s sometimes playful tone, there are moments of real emotional weight. ‘Hangman‘ is a deeply personal reflection on Felix’s time working in the care sector, balancing the exhaustion of the job with a profound sense of purpose. “It was fundamentally about caring for someone and wanting to have a perceivable positive impact on their life, and in the process kind of losing some ego,” he explains.
The song’s driving rhythm and jangly guitars are offset by the vulnerability of the lyrics, making it one of the album’s most heartfelt tracks. Similarly, ‘Lord’ tackles themes of longing and desire, documenting the early days of Tiger’s first queer relationship. The song’s folk-country sensibilities give way to a cathartic release on the chorus, where Tiger sings, “Lord, I’m letting go.”
Musically, Drive to Goldenhammer is a journey in itself, shifting between genres and moods with ease. The album flirts with electronic flourishes, such as the glitchy, shape-shifting Pill, which is filled with string arrangements, dissonant synths, and catchy vocal hooks. Meanwhile, tracks like ‘Fever Pitch‘ exhibit Divorce’s mastery of complex arrangements, with their waltzing riffs and vocal acrobatics evoking the spirit of artists like St. Vincent.
‘Karen’, on the other hand, takes a more restrained approach, with its moody acoustic intro slowly exploding into a wall of alt-rock energy. These shifts in dynamics create a sense of unpredictability and discovery throughout the album, never letting the listener settle too comfortably into any one sound.
The album also embraces the rich cultural legacy of the Midlands, where Divorce’s roots run deep. In both the lyrics and sound, there’s a sense of local pride, a reflection of the area’s industrial heritage and its enduring warmth. This is most evident on the album’s title track, which represents both a literal and figurative escape from the chaos of the world, offering a refuge in the form of a mythical place called Goldenhammer. While the location may be imaginary, it resonates with Divorce’s desire to find a place to call home amidst the turbulence of their lives.
Drive to Goldenhammer is an album that invites listeners into Divorce’s world, one that is equal parts whimsical and grounded, emotionally complex yet immediately accessible. It’s an album that builds, blooms, and releases, always striving to find a sense of belonging in a world that’s constantly in flux.
Divorce have created something truly special here – a record that captures both the beauty and the mess of being human. With their most personal and ambitious work yet, Drive to Goldenhammer proves that Divorce are here to stay, and they’re just getting started.
