Gorillaz, the animated band led by British musician Damon Albarn, recently announced the release of a new album, The Mountain, and it has a connection to India. The band’s ninth studio album will be released next year. Gorillaz also announced a UK and Ireland tour.
Gorillaz’s new album has an India connect
The Mountain, which will release on March 20, 2026, marks the band’s ninth studio album. It is their first album on new label KONG. Parts of the album were recorded in Mumbai, Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi.
Gorillaz collaborated with several musicians, including Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Anoushka Shankar, Ajay Prasanna (flute) and Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash (sarod).
The band — the brainchild of Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett — unveiled a single, The Happy Dictator, from the upcoming 15-track release. It features the American pop and rock duo Sparks.
About The Mountain
The new album also boasts musical collaborations, including celebrated Syrian electro-folk singer Omar Souleyman and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr. Rapper Mos Def, who has used the name Yasiin Bey for more than a decade, will also feature.
Gorillaz’s new album follows the 2023 release Cracker Island and also includes vocals from late artist friends, including Bobby Womack, Mark E Smith, and Tony Allen.
The various artists featured collectively sing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. It was first unveiled at a “secret concert” in London last week.
The Mountain was also recorded at Studio 13 in London and Devon. More recording sessions took place in Los Angeles, Ashgabat, Damascus, New York and Miami. The Mountain was produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton and Remi Kabaka Jr, plus Bizarrap (Orange County).
More about Gorillaz’s tour in 2026
The nine-date tour will kick off in Manchester on March 21, 2026, and culminate in a concert at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on June 20, 2026. (with AFP inputs)
