Simple Minds have shared new single ‘Vision Thing’, which is the first to be taken from the band’s upcoming eighteenth studio album ‘Direction Of The Heart’.

The euphoric ‘Vision Thing’ features music written by guitarist Charlie Burchill and lyrics by frontman Jim Kerr, with the song described as a tribute to Kerr’s “best pal” – his late father who passed away in 2019.

The new single is ‘Direction Of The Heart”s opener and is followed by eight new tracks, which were all recorded at Hamburg’s Chameleon Studios. ‘Human Traffic’ features a guest appearance from Sparks’ frontman Russell Mael, and elsewhere the album includes a cover of The Call’s 1983 single ‘The Walls Came Down’.

‘Direction Of The Heart’ is the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Walk Between Worlds’ and is out on October 21. You can see the full tracklisting below and pre-order the album here.

Speaking of the new album, Kerr said: “How to make a feel-good ‘Electro-rock’ record, during the very worst of times? Direction Of The Heart is the result of that challenge. Who would have thought we’d have so much fun creating it?”

The group are celebrating their 40th anniversary, currently playing dates in Europe. They’ll be heading back to the UK on June 18 to play Blenheim Palace, before returning to Europe. The tour finishes up with two dates at Edinburgh’s Princess Street Gardens in August. Buy any remaining tickets here.

BBC Radio 2 also announced that the band would be headlining the first night of Radio 2’s 30,000-capacity Live In Leeds concert on September 17. Find out more and buy tickets here.

In January, the band shared a new version of one of their earliest tracks, ‘Act Of Love’. It was a reimagining of one the earliest songs written by Kerr and Burchill in 1978, coinciding with the group’s first performance at Glasgow’s Satellite City in 1978.

‘Direction Of The Heart’ tracklist:

‘Vision Thing’
‘First You Jump’
‘Human Traffic’ (featuring Russell Mael of Sparks)
‘Who Killed Truth?’
‘Solstice Kiss’
‘Act Of Love’
‘Natural’
‘Planet Zero’
‘The Walls Came Down (written and originally recorded by The Call)’