BLEAK SQUAD – ADALITA, MICK HARVEY, MICK TURNER & MARTY BROWN – UNVEIL NEW SINGLE AHEAD OF FEB & MARCH 2026 NATIONAL TOUR

On the back of a big year – a rapturously debut album and first shows and an AMP nomination, all while the band’s members have been hard at work on their other projects – the alternative super group that is Bleak Squad – Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner and Marty Brown – have today unveiled a new single as their inaugural national tour draws near.

Recorded during the same sessions as their album Strange Love and put aside for a (bleak and) rainy day, the two songs – the Adalita/Mick Turner-written A-side “Black & White” and a version of an old Marlene Dietrich song on the B-side – have already become live favourites. Together they will comprise the band’s first 7″ release, which is available for pre-order now and which will be released in a limited edition, one-time-pressing on Feb 6, on the eve of the band’s tour. In the meantime, “Black & White” is available digitally as of today.

“Sometimes in life you have to make tough choices. And so it was with these two tracks ‘Black & White’ and ‘A Suitcase in Berlin’. Recorded during the sessions for Strange Love they were both just as equally loved as the other tracks – but there’s only so many minutes of music one can fit on a record and album track orders are mysterious beasts, and one popped out that sadly hadn’t included these two songs.

“‘Suitcase in Berlin’ is Bleak Squad’s version of an old Marlene Dietrich song: ‘Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin’. Translated and arranged by Mick Harvey and actually the second version of it that Mick has recorded.

“‘Black and White’ has origins from an instrumental created by Mick Turner, with lyrics by Adalita, and demonstrates the potency of Bleak Squad being able to craft something that is so loose and shambolic but nuanced, that ends up sounding like it was always meant to be.

“Both have since become firm live favourites, so we are thrilled we have found a home for them as a 7-inch addendum to our debut album Strange Love.”

A-side
“Black & White”
Music by Mick Turner
Lyrics by Adalita

B-side
“A Suitcase in Berlin”
(“Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin”)
(A. Pinelli / R. Siegel) Translation by Mick Harvey https://orcd.co/bleaksquad2026

Limited edition 7” out FEB 6th (Poison City)

“Black & White” available to download and stream now https://orcd.co/bleaksquad2026

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It seems like Melbourne super-natural-group Bleak Squad are here to stay. The new Melbourne four-piece comprised of true Australian art-rock royalty: Adalita (Magic Dirt), Mick Harvey (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, The Birthday Party), Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Mess Esque) and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting) – are today announcing a run of shows in February and March 2026. All shows are on sale as of 10:00AM local time today (other than Canberra, which is on sale Dec 1.)

Adding to their already announced festival appearances at Perth International Festival, Golden Plains and Riverboats, will be their first headline shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, as well as regional centres the Blue Mountains, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Eumundi and Murwillumbah.

Says Brown: “We looked at our calendars for next year and there were only a few weeks we were all in the country and available, so we’ve jam-packed as many shows into them as we could because god knows when the next opportunity to play live together will happen again”

Their debut album Strange Love has been a roaring, out-of-left-field success in 2025. Topping the AIR Chart, making a top 40 ARIA Chart debut, RRR and 3PBS Albums of the Week, and being shortlisted for The Australian Music Prize (to be announced on Thursday). Plus their first live shows that have left audiences mesmerised, including two shows at the Melbourne Recital Centre and a show in Sydney’s City Recital Hall with Ed Kuepper and Jim White.

Bleak Squad – Strange Love (Official video)

“Time will tell whether or not Bleak Squad is left to stand as a one-off project by a group who all have their own stuff going on, or something more lasting. What I’m more confident in predicting is that they should not be missed live: four Australian music greats with charisma to burn, uncanny chemistry, and a quality set of songs tailor-made for those long, dark nights of the soul.” – The Guardian

“Occasionally the musical universe offers unexpected gifts that we might never have thought to ask for and had no right to expect. Strange Love, the debut album by new Melbourne supergroup Bleak Squad, is one such gift. The names speak for themselves: Adalita (Magic Dirt), Mick Harvey (the Bad Seeds, the Birthday Party), Mick Turner (Dirty Three) and Marty Brown (Art of Fighting, Clare Bowditch), who brought the band together.” – The Guardian

Bleak Squad’s album Strange Love is available now from:

Poison City https://poisoncityestore.com/

Bandcamp https://bleaksquad.bandcamp.com/

and Rough Trade (UK-EU) https://www.roughtrade.com/product/strange-love

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026

Saturday 7th February Blue Mountains Theatre, Springwood

Sunday 8th February Perth Festival

Thursday 12th February Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

Friday 13th February Theatre Royal, Castlemaine

Saturday 14th February Riverboats Festival

Thursday 19th February Princess Theatre, Brisbane

Friday 20th February Imperial Hotel, Eumundi