Produced by Isabel Gracefield (engineer for PJ Harvey, Dua Lipa) and recorded live at RAK Studios in London over five days, the record follows their 2024 debut .

As the band put it: “It’s Gotta Be Me” is about "the moment you realise that staying together no longer makes either person happy. Sometimes there’s only one thing left to do: be the one who walks away."

The new collection tells stories of family, friendship, and relationships, while touching on pressure, uncertainty, and growing older. Its lyrics are rooted in real conversations – with family, friends, partners, and people who reappear after years away. Feist, Adrianne Lenker, and MJ Lenderman are among the influences.

Bluai – which comprises Catherine Smet, Mo Govaerts, and Caitlin Talbut – played Pukkelpop this weekend and will return to the UK in October. The dates with The Clockworks begin at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on 9 October, followed by Mama Roux’s in Manchester on 10 October, Oran Mor in Glasgow on 11 October, Academy 3 in Manchester on 14 October, and Scala in London on 16 October.