Adam Kennedy speaks with Kevin Rowland, lead singer of legendary outfit Dexys Midnight Runners ahead of their eagerly anticipated show on Tyneside this week.
After signing to Heavenly Recordings, Dexys Midnight Runners released their new album, Love, on Friday September 4, 2026.
Love is a deeply personal, emotionally rich album that may mark the final chapter in Dexys Midnight Runners' extraordinary musical journey.
Their first release under the Dexys Midnight Runners name since 1985’s Don’t Stand Me Down, Love gathers stories spanning Kevin Rowland’s life - from his 2nd generation Irish childhood and family relationships to late-life romance, loss and reconciliation.
Love on Tyneside for Dexys Midnight Runners (Image: Supplied)
The band will return to the North East this week in support of their latest offering.
Lead singer Kevin Rowland reflects on the recording of their new album.
“I was going over to Belfast and working on the album, and when I wasn't there, I was working on it over here. I did all the vocals for the album at Sean's place, Sean Read, who's been in the band for 15 years,” Kevin recalls.
“I did all the vocals around at his place.
Love on Tyneside for Dexys Midnight Runners (Image: Supplied)
"So, I used to just go around there in the afternoon, and he'd have the mic set up, and I'd just go straight into a vocal booth at four or five o'clock.
"And when I wasn't doing that, I was working on songs with Sean or Mike.
"When I wasn't doing that, I was over in Belfast with David [Holmes] working on the strings, keyboards, general arrangements.”
Love on Tyneside for Dexys Midnight Runners (Image: Supplied)
Kevin explains the inspiration behind the first single from the record, My Life In England Pt. 1.
“It's just about growing up in England really. It's a bit of a love letter to England the song.
"It's a kind of love letter to my childhood England,” he declares.
Growing up, to what extent would the artist say he was influenced by American culture?
“Back in those days everything was American.
"I mean we had Cliff Richard, but he was sort of a copy of Elvis really.
"Even Billy Fury was very Elvis-y; he looked like Elvis,” said Kevin.
“He was great, Billy Fury; maybe he didn't have the songs that Cliff Richard had, looking back, but he looked great.
"And yeah, it was all America. Boxing, films, it was all America really.”
Like most musicians, image is important.
But how important was fashion to Kevin Rowland?
“Never fashion, always style. Fashion is for the young, style is for anybody.
"And fashion doesn't interest me anyway,” he says.
“I'm always developing my style. I'm always looking for new ideas.
"It’s just always been a passion. I get as excited about clothes as I do about music really.”
Love marks the first release under the Dexys Midnight Runners name since 1985’s Don’t Stand Me Down.
But what catalysed the return to the group’s legendary moniker?
“I live in an apartment block, and in 2024 there's a bench outside, and I was sitting on the bench, and I got talking to this young woman who also lives here.
"She's about 23 or 24, and she was telling me she's getting ready to go to Glastonbury.
"And I mentioned that we're playing there.
"And she goes Oh, in the band?
"I said, yeah. She said, which band?
"I said Dexys, and she went oh that's not the same as Dexys Midnight Runners, is it?
"And I said, yeah, it is actually,” recalls Kevin.
“So, what I realised from talking to her was there are young people who know Dexys from Come on Eileen and Gino.
"Perhaps Dexys Midnight Runners, but Dexys kind of confused them.
"They didn't know what that was.
"So, I thought, okay, it's a no-brainer; we need to go back to Dexys Midnight Runners.”
Despite their long and successful history, the artist isn’t interested in nostalgia.
“I couldn't do rewind-type shows.
"No offence to those artists who do; good luck to them.
"I just couldn't do it,” he says.
“It's all about what we're doing now.
"I mean we do the old stuff, and we're glad to do it, but we usually reinterpret it so that it makes sense to us now.
"But yeah, I'm all about what's going on now.
"I'm grateful for the past, but I don't want to live in it.”
This week Dexys Midnight Runners will return to Tyneside for an eagerly anticipated show at the O2 City Hall in Newcastle.
“The shows have always been good up there,” he says.
“I'm quite interested in Newcastle, and we’ve got a connection.
"Our manager used to come from there, our manager who was managing Dexys during the most successful period.”
He concludes:
“We used to go up there and we used to stay in a bed and breakfast place, and we'd rehearse for like seven or eight weeks up there.”
Dexys Midnight Runners will perform at the O2 City Hall in Newcastle on Wednesday October 21.
For ticket information and further details, visit: ttps://www.academymusicgroup.com/o2cityhallnewcastle.