Poptones return with news of their second full-length album, Pure, set for release on the 26th September via Happy Metal Records. Alongside the announcement, the band has dropped the record’s lead single, “Skin of Sea”—a heavy-hitting track laced with cool slacker vocals, along with some gritty guitar tones, a driving bassline, and an irresistible groove which carries you along real nicely on a lazy evening.

The track took shape during an improvised writing session at a remote house in Northern Jutland—a location noted for being the place where former Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag spent his final days.

“The first idea for “Skin of Sea” came together quickly and intuitively, going from nothing to a finished sketch in just a few hours, which is far from our usual writing pace,” the band explains. “Maybe that’s why the track leans more on simplicity in chords and structure. Intuitive ideas often have a clear sense of direction, which was definitely the case with “Skin of Sea”. It was very inspiring to work with.”

“It was also our first dive into using instruments we hadn’t worked with before,” they continue. “Especially the outro pulled us toward a grander sound and opened up new ways of composing as Poptones.”

Due for release on September 26th 2025, Pure is Poptones’ second full-length album, following 2022’s Between Darkness & Daylight. The new record was developed across several locations – Copenhagen, India, Italy, and the aforementioned final resting place of Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag – and blends solo-composed sketches with collaborative improvisations. The result is a 12-track album that moves between prog, hardcore, indie, and avant-rock, featuring both standard and non-traditional instrumentation.

The album includes contributions from hardcore vocalist Victor Kaas (EYES, LLNN) on “Mirror World”, as well as guest musicians Rémy Gouffault (vibraphone) and Harald Ingvarsson (guitar) on the fully improvised tracks “Asleep” and “Eyes Closed”. The record was recorded with Peter Emil Sloth, mixed by Jens Ramon, and mastered by E.T. Master.

Poptones – Mads Bertelsen (vocals/bass), Simon Hiemstra (guitar), and Anders Poulsen (drums) – began making music together as teenagers in Denmark’s rural west coast. While the sound has evolved, their longstanding relationship remains central to their creative process.