BLOSSOMS MARK THEIR RETURN with an infectiously funny Joke About Divorce

Photo Credit: ODD SK Recordings / Distiller Music

In one fell swoop, Gary the Gorilla was erased from Blossoms’ Instagram page. No more orange, no more gorillas, but an exciting signal at new music lay in the band’s updated profile picture – a single hand, holding a huge, red cherry in front of a pastel pink background. Just a couple of days later, a snippet of a new song arrived, followed on Sunday 19th April by the announcement of Joke About Divorce, a track to be debuted on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders. 

Monday came around, 6:30pm, and the closing notes of There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls), from the Stockport quintet’s second album Cool Like You, blared through my earphones, excitement brewing as Saunders introduced lead singer Tom Ogden and keyboardist Myles Kellock to the show. Produced by Shawn Lee, who they explained also played guitar on the Girls Aloud hit Sound of the Underground, the song explores a very poorly timed joke (about divorce) with reflective lyrics which certainly contrast the bouncy energy infused by the synths and punchy guitar riff throughout. 

“I guess this argument’s not the place for a joke about divorce/My intentions were just a playful thing/To make you laugh of course”, Ogden ponders in the catchy chorus. He continues to be told off by his fellow band mates (“yeah you should think before you talk”) in a call and response style which would make for a brilliant live performance. The song’s elastic verses are reminiscent of Howard Jones’ New Song, while the track in its entirety could be compared to My Swimming Brain or What Can I Say After I’m Sorry? from the band’s back catalogue. 

By the end of this song, fans may have been taken off guard by the sudden presence of the one and only Rick Astley, of course, friend of the band, on backing vocals. The story, as told by Kellock and Ogden on BBC Radio 1, goes that they were recording at Tilehouse Studios, just 20 minutes from Astley’s house and called their mate to listen to what they were working on. His repetitive line of “don’t joke about it” adds a soulful depth to the outro. 

But what is next for Blossoms? After their cracking fourth album Gary, which came out in September 2024, the quintet are in the process of working on a new record. “We’re gonna keep going and when it’s ready we’re going to show the world.” Fans are bound to wait in anticipation, but Kellock shared that “[it] doesn’t feel like there’s as much pressure [this time]”. 

A self-proclaimed “3 minute banger”, Joke About Divorce displays what Blossoms do best: a truly unique and humorous spin on a topic, through infectiously funky instrumentation and introspective lyrics. With festival season coming around quickly, it will be brilliant to see this tune performed at the likes of Neighbourhood Weekender and Tramlines (where they appear on the lineup alongside Astley). 

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Text Copyright 2026 © Alexandra Pullen/ADRENALINE Magazine, except song lyrics.