Nouvelle Vague detail UK tour this November

5 min read

After 21 years since self-titled debut, cult band announce live dates and new material

Mark O'Donnell

Hitting the road for a major worldwide tour in 2025, Nouvelle Vague will embark on a stretch of UK shows throughout November. With 16 UK live dates in total, including performances at Brighton’s CHALK and London’s iconic venue KOKO, the tour will see the band celebrating 21 years since the release of their seminal first album, alongside teasing their special guest-packed upcoming album release at venues nationwide.

For this 2025 run, Nouvelle Vague have confirmed two sets of lead singers for each half of the tour. Melanie Pain and Phoebe Killdeer will start the live dates, then on Wed 19 Nov, Marine Quemere and Shanice Sloan will take on lead singer duties for the second leg. While the show will be broadly similar for each leg, expect Melanie and Marine to be bringing their own individual French femme flare to their shows, whilst Phoebe and Shanice will be taking audiences for a walk on the wild side with their vocal powers.

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The upcoming tour will also feature support slots from Phoebe Killdeer & The Shift, Melanie Pain, and DeLaurentis, all of whom will be spotlighting their own individual projects before the headline act.

Nouvelle Vague was founded by esteemed musician/composer/producer Marc Collin, along with the late Olivier Libaux (Les Objets and Uncovered QOTSA). They’ve been reinventing post-punk classics since the early 2000s, retaining their melancholy while infusing them with an air of Bossa Nova and unearthing stunning vocal talents.

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Over the years, the band has cultivated an ever-evolving sound by hosting a rotating cast of talented female vocalists, including the likes of Melanie Pain, Phoebe Killdeer, Camille, Elodie Frege, along with American actress, singer and musician Juliette Lewis and actress, model and singer Vanessa Paradis; who have seamlessly made these vintage tunes their own through their emotive interpretations and personal flair.

The group’s first two albums, Nouvelle Vague (2004) and Bande A Part (2006) defined their unique sound with Bossa Nova versions of New Wave Classics. Their third album NV3 (2009) featured collaborations with Depeche Mode's Martin Gore, Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunnymen, Terry Hall from The Specials and Barry Adamson (Magazine, Nick Cave & Bad Seeds).