Paul McCartney has announced his first new album in six years, described as a “collection of revealing glimpses” into “never-before shared” memories. Titled The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, the project draws inspiration from his childhood in post-war Liverpool and is named after a road in Speke that leads to the Mersey shore, where he spent afternoons bird-watching as a young boy.
The Boys Of Dungeon Lane" is also inspired by memories of growing up in Liverpool with John Lennon and George Harrison.
The album’s first single, Days We Left Behind, premiered on BBC Radio Merseyside. The track captures a wistful, nostalgic tone, with McCartney reflecting on “smokey bars and cheap guitars” over a simple acoustic arrangement. As he sings, he notes that while Liverpool continues to evolve, “nothing can erase the days we left behind.” Delivered in a delicate falsetto, his voice carries a sense of fragility that adds emotional depth.
In the middle section of the song, McCartney offers an intimate look at the early days of The Beatles, recalling moments at his childhood home: “We met on Forthlin Road / And wrote a secret code / Never to be spoken.”
“This is very much a memory song for me,” said the 83-year-old in a press release. “I do often wonder if I'm just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else?” Expanding further, he explained: “It's just a lot of memories of Liverpool... We didn't have much at all but it didn't matter because all the people were great and you didn't notice you didn't have much.”
The album marks his 19th solo release in a career spanning more than six decades. Unlike 2020’s McCartney III, which he recorded largely alone during lockdown, this project was created with producer Andrew Watt, known for his work with veteran artists. The pair first met in 2021 “for a cup of tea and an exchange of ideas.”
During that meeting, McCartney stumbled upon an unfamiliar chord progression but continued experimenting. “Undeterred and driven by his experimental nature, Paul carried on changing one note, then another,” eventually forming a sequence that became the foundation for the opening track, As You Lie There.
Recording took place over several years, alongside McCartney’s touring, documentary work, and writing projects. The album is expected to blend elements from across his career, including rock, harmonies, and groove-driven sounds, reflecting both his past and present creative spirit. The album is out in May.
The track list for The Boys of Dungeon Lane:
As You Lie There
Lost Horizon
Days We Left Behind
Ripples in a Pond
Mountain Top
Down South
We Two
Come Inside
Never Know
Home to Us
Life Can Be Hard
First Star of the Night
Salesman Saint
Momma Gets By
