matchbox twenty release ‘These Hard Times’

Taken from the band's 2007 retrospective collection, Exile On Mainstream, 'These Hard Times' is one of the several new tracks recorded in LA last year with Grammy-winning producer Steve Lillywhite.

'These Hard Times' is also one of the new songs that signals the band's first collaborative writing experience - "For the first time, we're all writing as a band," says Grammy-winning lead singer Rob Thomas. "In the past, I would write all the songs and the guys would write all their parts. Now it's a band in the hand. We all fight it out… we fight over melodies and lyrics. It's completely unique from anything we've done before."

The band also return to UK shores next month for a six-date arena tour. Kicking off in Cardiff on April 30th and including a date at London's Wembley Arena, the tour marks the band's first live shows in the UK for five years. Renowned for electrifying live performances, their 2003 world tour saw matchbox twenty play sold-out concerts at three of the world's premiere music venues – New York's Madison Square Garden, London's Wembley Arena, and Los Angeles' Staples Center. Full tour dates for the April/ May tour are listed below.

matchbox twenty's three albums have sold more than 28 million copies worldwide to date, and the band's last studio album, More Than You Think You Are, earned the band two Grammy nominations and two American Music Award nominations.

matchbox twenty are Rob Thomas, Paul Doucette, Kyle Cook and Brian Yale.

Dates are:

April
Wed 30 CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA £25.00
May
Thurs 1 LONDON WEMBLEY ARENA £27.50
Fri 2 BIRMINGHAM NIA £25.00
Sun 4 GLASGOW SECC £25.00
Mon 5 MANCHESTER APOLLO £25.00
Tues 6 MANCHESTER APOLLO £25.00

www.matchboxtwenty.com