Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

Canadian rockers Japandroids are back with their highly anticipated third studio release, the magnificent 'Near To The Wild Heart Of Life!'

With the release of their second album (2012's Celebration Rock), the band embarked on what seemed like an endless world tour, performing over 200 shows in over 40 countries, and played their final show in support of Celebration Rock in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November 2013. They would not perform live again for three years.

This third album was written clandestinely in Vancouver, Toronto, New Orleans, and Mexico City. It was (mostly) recorded at Rain City Recorders in Vancouver, BC, with one song, "True Love And A Free Life Of Free Will", recorded at Golden Ratio in Montreal, QC.

On Near To The Wild Heart Of Life, side A (songs 1-4) and side B (songs 5-7) each follow their own loose narrative. Taken together as one, they form an even looser narrative, with the final song on side B (song 8) acting as an epilogue. If Celebration Rock was the culmination of something, then Near To The Wild Heart Of Life can be considered the beginning of something else.

The title comes from a passage in the novel A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce: "He was alone. He was unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life."