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NEW ALBUM FOREVER THE OPTIMIST OUT NOW
Featuring string arrangements composed by Mark Tersteeg, the eight compositions touch on themes such as land use, animal rights, cobalt mining in the Congo, climate breakdown, neo-liberalism and the media’s complicity in genocide. During the writing process I was heavily inspired by writers Jay Griffiths, George Monbiot, Omar El Akkad and Siddharth Kara. Each track on the album is once again accompanied by thematic visuals.
You can listen to the album on all streaming platforms, including Bandcamp.
Forever The Optimist is also available on both CD and vinyl. Pick up your copy at one of the upcoming live dates or via the webshop.
FOREVER THE OPTIMIST LIVE DATES
To celebrate the release of new album Forever The Optimist, we will be playing a string of full band audiovisual concerts throughout Europe in the coming months:
5th March 2026 - Simplon UP, Groningen
7th March 2026 - Roodkapje, Rotterdam with Gavran & Thrilled
11th March 2026 - Zentralcafe Kaya, Nuremberg
12th March 2026 - Glockenbachwerkstatt, Munich with Alago
13th March 2026 - Ann and Pat, Linz
14th March 2026 - Club Zentral, Stuttgart *with We Missed The Sky & there were others
23rd March 2026 - TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht *with God Is An Astronaut
11th April 2026 - Resistor, Leiden
19th June 2026 - Rabryka, Görlitz
20th June 2026 - Farewell Youth Fest, Dresden
Poster design by Nici Metselaar
Photo by Lisanne Lentink
GHOST ACRES IS OUT NOW!
Ghost Acres was inspired by the book Regenesis by George Monbiot and also features a quote from Monbiot talking about the effects of modern day agriculture on our natural environment.
In an age where most developed countries outsource food production, ghost acres represent the real amount of land that is needed to produce the products that we consume. The title of the track symbolises the idea that most Westerners live their lives dependent on ghost acreage, far removed from the origins of the food they are consuming.
The confronting imagery used in the video by Dutch visual artist Nici Metselaar highlights the ongoing devastation caused by large scale agriculture and the knock-on effects this has for the climate worldwide, whilst at the same time confronting the viewer with harrowing imagery of the origins of the products Western consumers purchase on a daily basis.
ONE FLEETING GLANCE IS OUT NOW!
New single One Fleeting Glance was released on 14th November.
Here are a few words about the track courtesy of IDIOTEQ.com:
There’s a certain clarity when an artist starts with the facts of their own derailment, and “One Fleeting Glance” lands exactly there. Thistle Sifter is opening the path toward the new album “Forever The Optimist” with a single that circles around recovery, reassessment, and whatever comes after you’re thrown off course without warning. The single doesn’t dramatize that experience; instead, it sits with it, offering a brief window into what acceptance looks like when it’s still in progress.
Read the full article here.
Huge thanks to the following people Nils Breunese (additional guitars), Koen Klarenbeek (drums), Tom Broshuis (production), Roy van Rosendaal (drum production & mix), Pier-Durk Hogeterp (mastering) & Robert Smeekes (video).
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