Lonely Robot announce new album The Big Dream

John Mitchell
John Mitchell

Lonely Robot have confirmed that their new album will be released later this year.

Titled The Big Dream, it’ll launch on April 28 via InsideOut Music and is the follow-up to the John Mitchell project’s 2015 debut Please Come Home.

Mitchell provides vocals and plays all instruments on the album, with the exception of drums, which are once again handled by Craig Blundell. Former Touchstone singer Kim Seviour guests on bonus track Why Do We Stay?

Mitchell says of the album: “The Astronaut wakes up from a cryogenic sleep but finds he’s no longer in space, and is instead in a woodland area surrounded by a group of strange people with animal heads!

“It’s a little surreal, a little Midsummer Night’s Dream to some extent. This is something of a solipsistic haze, for want of a better description.”

As for the concept behind the Lonely Robot project, Mitchell adds: “I have always envisaged the storyline of The Astronaut’s journey evolving over the course of three albums. And I always knew where I wanted to go with the second album – taking The Astronaut away from space and into a strange and unfamiliar environment.

“Right now, I have no thoughts of what will happen for the third one – but I’d better start thinking about it now!”

He continues: “The key inspiration for Lonely Robot comes from my love of science fiction films, and the atmospheric soundtracks that often accompany them, such as Alan Silvestri’s compositions for Contact and Clint Mansell’s work for Moon.”

The Big Dream will be release on special edition digipak featuring three bonus tracks, gatefold 2LP, CD and on digital platforms.

Lonely Robot have currently have a handful of live dates planned for 2017. Joining Mitchell and Blundell are bassist Steve Vantsis and keyboardist Liam Holmes.

The Big Dream cover

The Big Dream cover

Lonely Robot The Big Dream tracklist

  1. Prologue (Deep Sleep)
  2. Awakenings
  3. Sigma
  4. In Floral Green
  5. Everglow
  6. False Lights
  7. Symbolic
  8. The Divine Art Of Being
  9. The Big Dream
  10. Hello World Goodbye
  11. Epilogue (Sea Beams)
  12. In Floral Green (Acoustic Version) Bonus
  13. The Divine Art Of Being (Acoustic Version) Bonus
  14. Why Do We Stay? (feat. Kim Seviour) Bonus

Lonely Robot 2017 tour dates

Mar 05: Boerderij Zoetermeer Progdreams VI, Netherlands
Apr 27: Reading Sub 89, UK
Apr 28: Leicester Marillion Convention, UK
May 27: Leamington Spa Trinity Live, UK

Lonely Robot premiere The Boy In The Radio

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.