Everything In Readiness — Shovel Dance Collective announce third album

Everything In Readiness is the third album by Shovel Dance Collective, announced with a release date of 23 October 2026. The record is issued on Glitterbeat’s tak:til sub-label. It follows the collective’s 2024 album The Shovel Dance. The album contains 11 tracks.

The project continues the collective’s exploration of field recordings and tape manipulation. The lead track, “Tally Ho, Hark Away!”, has an accompanying video and features horn and cymbal sounds described as marking an ascension. The band described their creative process using the metaphor of weaving or a patchwork quilt. They announced a UK tour scheduled for early 2027.

The album “Everything In Readiness” by Shovel Dance Collective consists of 11 tracks and will be released by Glitterbeat’s tak:til sub-label on 23 October 2026. As the band’s third studio album, it continues their deep engagement with traditional music through innovative techniques such as field recordings and tape manipulation. This approach allows them to explore and reinterpret lesser-known musical traditions with a modern touch.

The collective uses the metaphor of weaving or a patchwork quilt to describe their creative process. This metaphor reflects their method of combining varied musical elements and traditions into a cohesive whole. The band has developed a shared musical language that integrates both improvised and structured elements, allowing them to mine and research specific, underperformed traditional music styles. This approach underscores their commitment to creating music that is both intricate and accessible, while also respecting the traditions that inspire them.

The lead track from Shovel Dance Collective’s album “Everything In Readiness,” titled “Tally Ho, Hark Away!,” has been presented with an accompanying music video. This track draws thematic inspiration from the piper’s fox hunt tradition.

According to the collective, while traditional interpretations might view the phrase “Tally Ho!” as a huntsman’s shout of victory, the collective’s rendition serves as a lament. Their version imagines liberation from the brutality of the hunt, focusing on the fox being freed into a state of innocence.

Horns and cymbals are utilized in the track to symbolize this ascension, highlighting the narrative of transformation and deliverance as expressed by the band.

In support of their upcoming album “Everything In Readiness,” Shovel Dance Collective has announced a UK tour scheduled for early 2027. This tour will promote their third studio album, which follows their previous release, “The Shovel Dance.”

The tour forms part of their promotional activities to connect with their audience and showcase the new music. Specific details about the tour dates, venues, or cities are not provided in the current available information.

These live performances will likely feature tracks from the new album, allowing fans to experience their innovative blend of traditional and modern musical elements firsthand.

The Quietus published the announcement and details of Shovel Dance Collective’s third album, Everything In Readiness, and the lead track “Tally Ho, Hark Away!”. The article included specific information about the album’s track count, release date, label, and the lead track’s accompanying video.

The Quietus’ post also quoted the collective describing their creative process with the metaphor of weaving or a patchwork quilt.

Shovel Dance Collective announced their third album, Everything In Readiness, which the band presents as a continuation of their work with traditional material and creative techniques such as field recordings and tape manipulation. The collective released the lead track, “Tally Ho, Hark Away!”, with an accompanying video that the band says is inspired by the piper’s fox hunt tradition and reframes the phrase “Tally Ho!” not as a hunt’s victory cry but as a lament. In their statement the group used the metaphor of weaving, or a patchwork quilt, to describe their creative process and noted the use of horns and cymbals on the lead track to mark an ascension within that narrative framework. Promotion for the album includes an announced UK tour scheduled for early 2027.