[5] Their debut album For the First Time, released in 2021, received widespread critical acclaim, was nominated for the Mercury Prize and reached No.

Following the departure of Wood, the band immediately began work on new material, with Hyde, Evans and Kershaw sharing lead vocal duties.

After touring throughout 2022, the band released the concert film Live at Bush Hall, in February 2023 (followed by an album in March of that year), featuring several new compositions and songs that had been written since Wood's departure.

In 2015, Hyde, Evans, Ellery, Kershaw, Wayne and former vocalist/guitarist Isaac Wood, alongside then lead singer Connor Browne and second drummer Jonny Pyke formed Nervous Conditions; a Cambridge based band with dual drums and a similar, but more improvised sound to Black Country, New Road.

[12] Black Country, New Road gained its seventh member, Luke Mark, between the release of "Athens, France" and their second single, "Sunglasses".

The single gained the attention and acclaim of many critics; Stereogum noted the wide variety of genre influences on the track, describing it as a "wild ride",[13] and John Doran of The Quietus lauded the group on the back of "Sunglasses" as the "best in the entire world".

[14] On 28 October 2020, Black Country, New Road signed to Ninja Tune and announced their debut album, For the First Time, which was released on 5 February 2021.

On 3 November 2021, Black Country, New Road cancelled their upcoming European tour due to a band member's illness.

[17] The band released the Never Again EP on 3 December, a Rough Trade Records exclusive limited to 1,500 copies which features covers of songs by MGMT, ABBA and Adele.

"[24] Bassist Tyler Hyde had initially planned to become the band's new lead vocalist, with the option to share the duty with other members.

The EP was limited to 1,500 copies and features covers of songs by Regina Spektor, Caroline Polachek, The Magnetic Fields, and Billie Eilish.

[44] "Athens, France" – as it appears on For the First Time – contains lyrics from Phoebe Bridgers' "Motion Sickness";[45] the original single also references Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next".

[52][53][54] Black Country, New Road also recalled listening to Kurt Vile and Frank Ocean for inspiration during the writing process.

The band also recounted that they avoided utilizing instrumentation that they felt was typical for them during the recording process, with Mark stating "there’s a lot of different kinds of songs on the album that I don’t think we could’ve done before, but we can now".

"[58] The band collaborated with fellow London musician Ethan P. Flynn on a released live version of his song "Television Show".

[63] Saxophonist Lewis Evans has performed and recorded as a member of three-piece experimental ensemble Guildhall Military Orchestra.