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Jun 03, 2019 By Christopher Roberts The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy, the orchestral-pop project of Northern Irish singer/songwriter/composer Neil Hannon, is releasing a new album, Office Politics, this Friday. Previously Hannon shared its first single, “Queuejumper.” Now he has shared a video for “Norman and Norma,” the album’s second single (the audio for which was shared last month). The song is about the challenges of keeping the marriage spark alive as you get older and the black & white video illustrates the lyrics while also featuring images of Hannon performing the song on the piano. Raphaël Neal directed the video. Watch it below.

Hannon had this to say about the song in a press release: “I remember getting out of bed one morning singing something like the chorus. It’s always scary when you write an opening line like - ‘Norman and Norma got married in Cromer, April 1983’ - and you realize you’re going to have tell their whole story. I tried to set up the thrill of early married life in the first verse, and the struggle of middle age and family in the second, but the third was hard.”

Office Politics is the twelfth Divine Comedy album and the follow-up to 2016’s Foreverland. It’s billed as a double album. The deluxe edition includes Hannon’s original piano demos from the stage adaptation of Swallows and Amazons. Those preordering the album from The Divine Comedy’s website have a chance to win a mini-synth signed by Hannon that was used on the album track “The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale.”

Hannon had this to say about the synth in a press release: “It’s a Korg Monotron Duo and it’s brilliant fun. It’s also very small and if I’m honest tremendously cheap. But hey, it sounds awesome and more importantly it’s on the track! May it bring you many happy hours of annoying whoever you live with. I am genuinely jealous of the winner!”

Read our 2017 The End interview with The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon.

The Divine Comedy UK Tour Dates:

In-stores:

5th June: Banquet Records Release Show at PRYZM, Kingston Upon Thames (Full Band, 45min set)
8th June: In-store at HMV Manchester (Neil and Tosh Acoustic)
10th June: Assai Records Release Show At Inchyra Arts Club, Perth (Acoustic 4 piece, 45min set)
12th June: In-store at Tower Records, Dublin (Neil and Tosh Acoustic)

UK Tour Dates:

Sunday 6th October - DUBLIN Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Monday 7th October - BELFAST Ulster Hall
Tuesday 8th October - CORK Opera House
Thursday 10th October - GLASGOW Old Fruitmarket
Friday 11th October - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Saturday 12th October - OXFORD O2 Academy
Monday 14th October - BRISTOL O2 Academy
Tuesday 15th October - LEEDS Beckett University
Wednesday 16th October - BRIGHTON Dome
Thursday 17th October - LONDON Eventim Apollo
Friday 18th October - MANCHESTER Albert Hall

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