Today, Nitin Sawhney announced his new album Identity, which will be released on October 13th, is now available for preorder. He also released the lead single “Darling Boy” with Guy Garvey. As part of the release, Sawhney is also set to play London’s Royal Albert Hall on October 20th, with tickets on sale starting May 26th. The performance will be the centerpiece of the venue’s Journeys Festival, which is curated by Sawhney to celebrate “diverse journeys and identity through music, art, and discussion.”

Identity follows Sawhney’s critically acclaimed 2021 album Immigrants. Speaking with Music News about the upcoming release, Sawhney said, “The world is littered with opinions of people trying to tell us who we are. People get so vociferous in pushing their judgment and definitions of others that they often forget our common humanity. We’re all human. We all matter… and, as long as you’re not harming anyone else, the only opinion that counts in defining who you are is your own. Identity, the album, is a love letter to who we all are.”

On “Darling Boy” he added, “Working…with Guy Garvey was a lot of fun. He is definitely one of my [favourite] singers and a lovely bloke. As I’m making an album about identity, it seemed like a great idea to get him to sing and write about his unbridled joy at being a new dad. As April 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of my own father’s passing, this track felt really poignant as the first single from the forthcoming album. I’ve never heard Guy’s voice like this and it’s pure gold to hear him create these stunning harmonies. It was also wonderful going to India to lay down the interweaving lines. I loved making this track.”

Stream “Darling Boy” here: