The duo made up of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory, Maribou State has shared their new single “Bloom” featuring rising Sudanese-Dutch singer-songwriter, Gaidaa. A slice of the signature Maribou State featuring their trademark guitar lines, drum flourishes that gently recall old-skool rave, and the perfect vocal refrain from Gaidaa. “Bloom” is the second single to be shared from their highly anticipated new album ‘Hallucinating Love’ that is set for release on January 31st 2025 via Ninja Tune.
Alongside the new single — and due to overwhelming demand which saw the first two dates sold-out in just a matter of hours — the band have also announced an impressive third consecutive show at London’s 10k+ capacity Alexandra Palace. Following this performance will be a a massive North American tour through Spring 2025, which marks their first full band live dates on the continent in six years. These shows will mark a triumphant and poignant moment for the duo, following the news shared earlier this year by Chris Davids that he had undergone major surgery for a rare brain condition, from which he has only just begun to return to the studio and rehearsals full time.
“Bloom” arrives shortly after the release of recent single “Otherside” featuring long-time collaborator and vocalist Holly Walker, which received widespread support from the likes of Pitchfork, NME, Clash, The Line of Best Fit and Mixmag. The single is currently playlisted on BBC 6 Music as well as receiving supports across BBC Radio 1 and 6 from champions including Jack Saunders, Pete Tong, Mary Anne Hobbs, Lauren Laverne, Danny Howard and Sian Elleri who named it R1’s ‘Chillest Record’ on release week.
Maribou State were first propelled onto the world’s stage with their 2015 debut album ‘Portraits’, followed by 2019’s equally acclaimed ‘Kingdom In Colour’, both redefining soulful, downtempo electronica for a new generation. Their music has been celebrated by the likes of NME, Complex, GQ, Clash and Crack Magazine, with Mixmag also naming Maribou State as one of their ‘Artists Of The Year’ and BBC 6 Music hailing ‘Kingdom in Colour’ as their ‘Album Of The Day’ alongside huge support from the likes of Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw, Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq, Pete Tong, Nemone and many more, plus US radio plays from KCRW & KEXP — where they also performed a special live session.
There have also been world tours, dates at majestic venues like Sydney Opera House and a roadblock set at Glastonbury, as well as Artist of the Year accolades and a hugely successful single with Khruangbin, “Feel Good”. But nothing could have prepared the duo for what happened when they made their third album ‘Hallucinating Love’ – the biggest test of their careers yet. Between Chris facing chronic insomnia and getting his grips with a recent ADHD diagnosis and Liam developing crippling anxiety was also the global COVID-19 pandemic. Late 2021, Chris started experiencing chronic headaches that eventually was discovered was a rare condition called chiari malformation that causes pressure on the brain.
On his condition, Chris says “It was brutal,”, while Liam adds: “It was heartbreaking to see him try and push on in the studio, sometimes he would keel over from the pain and then try to push on with work again.” So eventually, something had to give. Chris underwent surgery in November 2023, just as their album was coming close to being finished. The experience has brought Maribou State – friends since their teens back in Hertfordshire, just outside of London – close like never before. The pair also made the difficult decision to delay its release, so that Chris could have the recovery time he needed. There were serious complications with surgery and, at one point, concerns that he might not make it. Thankfully he pulled through – and the duo are grateful to their fans for their support.
‘Hallucinating Love’ Tracklist:
1. Blackoak
2. Otherside (feat. Holly Walker)
3. II Remember
4. All I Need (feat. Andreya Triana)
5. Dance on the World (feat. North Downs)
6. Bloom (feat. Gaidaa)
7. Peace Talk (feat. Holly Walker)
8. Passing Clouds
9. Eko’s
10. Rolling Stone
