Confirmation that the band was working on a new record came in early 2014, with frontman Simon Neil telling Radio X in an interview that they had written "about 14 songs so far", stating that the album was projected for possible release by the end of 2015.

The band took 2015 as a "year off" from public appearances, as they did not want fans to tire of seeing them,[6] although they did play a one-off show as the headline act in Edinburgh's Hogmanay Concert in the Gardens, where they debuted a new song "On a Bang".

In January 2016, the band discussed the album with NME, calling it the "best record we've made",[8] and revealing John Waters and hip-hop artist A$AP Rocky as influences of the sound of the new music.

Lead singer Simon Neil appeared on both broadcasts to speak about the album and reveal some extra details about the background of the single.

The Guardian stated that the album is "simply less interesting than [the band] used to be", although did praise the track 'Small Wishes' due to its "likable country jangle".