Stereophonics have shared a soaring new single today (January 25) – you can listen to ‘Forever’ below.

The track is the latest preview of ‘Oochya!’, the Welsh band’s 12th album, which will arrive on March 4 via Stylus Records through Ignition Records Ltd and is available to pre-order here.

‘Forever’ follows the previously released ‘Hanging On Your Hinges’ and ‘Do Ya Feel My Love?’ and is described as “a reflective track that evokes freedom and the open road.”

Speaking about the new track, frontman Kelly Jones says: “’Forever’ is about escapism. It’s about longing for a freedom for someone and taking away the pain they’re going through, it’s about taking a bullet for them.

“It’s about wanting to free the ones you love of pain, but we can’t – life’s pain is where we find growth. So the song has a lot wrapped up in it. People are feeling a lot of that these days.”

You can listen to the new song below:

Of the upcoming new album, Jones added: “It’s quite an emotional record. At times it’s very nostalgic. The whole album is melodic. You put it on and it’s one of those albums you don’t really want to turn off because it keeps going onto different styles and the songs hold your attention. It shows a lot of styles of the band”.

Jones told NME last year how ‘Oochya!’ is a “90 per cent uptempo” album, and grew from plans to initially release a compilation marking 25 years since the Welsh band’s first single ‘Looks Like Chaplin’ which was released in 1996.

Elaborating on the album’s musical style, Jones told NME: “There are a lot of different moments, but it’s much more rock n’ roll than [2019 album] ‘Kind’. At our core, that’s what we are. There are periods in your life when you look inside yourself more, and you can’t fake those rock n’ roll songs.

“I love the guitar riff songs, and I’ve got a phone full of ideas for them. But if you’re not feeling it, there’s no point writing lyrics for them. For the last few years, I hadn’t really felt that vibe. This time, it really fitted.”

The band are due to hit the road again this March – you can see a full list of dates below and buy tickets here.

‘Oochya!’ tour:

MARCH 2022
18 – Arena, Manchester
20 – P&J Arena, Aberdeen
21 – Hydro, Glasgow
23 – Arena, Leeds
24 – Arena, Newcastle
26 – Centre, Brighton
27 – BIC, Bournemouth
29 – Arena, Liverpool
30 – Arena, Nottingham

APRIL 2022
1 – The O2, London
2 – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JUNE 2022
17 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff
18 – Principality Stadium, Cardiff, UK