Old Habits Die Hard is the fourteenth studio album from the legendary British AOR rock band, FM. The album is released by Frontiers Records on Friday May 3, 2024, and available to pre-order from https://orcd.co/oldhabitsdiehard.

The first single “Out of The Blue” is now available and is available on all streaming platforms from https://orcd.co/fmoutoftheblue.

Released to coincide with the band’s 40th Anniversary (1984 – 2024), vocalist, guitarist and founding member Steve Overland says, “the new album encompasses the best melodic elements of the band’s illustrious 40-year spanning career.

‘We really looked at what made the most popular FM albums great and tried to focus on that,” says Steve about the new album Old Habits Die Hard.

FM are known by many for their big choruses, twin lead guitars and Steve Overland’s intimate, yet powerful vocals, and clean guitar sound. Following 2022’s Thirteen album, Old Habits Die Hard was delayed slightly by keyboard player Jem Davis’ cancer diagnosis (thankfully he’s now received the all-clear) and then by the sudden passing of FM’s founding guitarist Chris Overland (Steve’s brother), which hit the band hard.

“Chris’s passing came out of the blue and it was devastating,” says Steve. To add insult to injury, close friend of the band and long-time collaborator of Jim Kirkpatrick, guitarist Bernie Marsden passed away just two days after Chris.

The tragedies that plagued the band through the recording process only reinforced FM’s resolve and desire to make the best album that they could to represent their 40 years in the business. The new album is also a fitting tribute to Chris Overland.

Over the past 12 months, during their extensive touring schedule, FM produced the album themselves and recorded the bulk of it at their own Dale View and Electric Pepperland recording studios.

Opening track and first single “Out of The Blue” was a song that originated from keyboard player Jem Davis. Says Jem, “the band love the music of Toto and Foreigner and so I tried to put those influences into one track. ‘Once Steve got involved and started singing it, I knew that we were onto something special.”

“Out Of the Blue is a song that old school FM fans will really latch on to,” says Steve. “So far, the reaction to the track has been amazing.”

The album continues with the rocker “Don’t Need Another Heartache” an AC/DC meets Foreigner anthem with an infectious chorus. ‘This song will probably be in the live set for the 40th anniversary tour as it’s one of our favorites from the album,” explains drummer and founder FM member, Pete Jupp.

“Whatever It Takes” and “No Easy Way Out” are typical FM melodic tracks and could fit seamlessly on to one of the bands earlier classic albums. Bass player and founder member Merv Goldsworthy explains, “No Easy way Out has the big typical FM chorus. It’s a massive hook. The kind of thing that we’ve become known for. It’s one of my favorites on the album.”

The heavier side of the album is represented by “Lost,” “Another Day in My World,” and “Leap of Faith.” Whilst more hard hitting, these songs embody the catchy melodic choruses that FM are known for.

“Cut Me Loose,” “California,” and “Blue Sky Mind” are poppier, more feelgood tracks. “Blue Sky Mind” was conceived again by keyboard player Jem Davis who originally wrote the song about his experience with his cancer diagnosis. ‘That song really was therapy for me. It was important that I got it out of my system and into music,” says Jem.

“Black Water” is a brooding, bluesy track that grows and grows. ‘This is a real favorite of mine,” says FM guitarist, Jim Kirkpatrick. “I could hear Brian May playing the guitar solo, so I pulled out my Brian May signature guitar and tried to do my best impersonation of him. Hopefully I got somewhere close.”

Track Listing
1. Out of the Blue
2. Don’t Need Another Heartache
3. No Easy Way Out
4. Lost
5. Whatever It Takes
6. Black Water
7. Cut Me Loose
8. Leap of Faith
9. California
10. Another Day in My World
11. Blue Sky Mind

Production Credits
Old Habits Die Hard
Produced by FM, Mixed by Jeff Knowler, Mastered by Jim Griffiths at Principal Audio
Photography by Paul Stuart Hollingsworth

Recorded at West3 Productions, Tremelo, Electric Pepperland, Morsecode Studios, JK Studios
*All songs written by – Overland/Goldsworthy/Jupp/Davis/Kirkpatrick

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