The Karma Effect Announce Autumn 2026 UK Headline Tour

Fast-rising South London rockers The Karma Effect have today confirmed a new 13-date UK headline tour for autumn 2026 in support of their eagerly-awaited forthcoming third album ‘Cruel Intentions’, which is set for release on May 15^th, 2026 (via Earache Records).

With just a handful of tickets now remaining for the band’s previously-announced album launch show at Tunbridge Wells Forum on May 15^th, The Karma Effect are pleased to now announce a full UK headline tour for this autumn, ably supported by special guests Juliet’s Not Dead. Tickets are on-sale here for the band’s autumn 2026 ‘Cruel Intentions Album Tour’.

Tour Dates:

29^th October Hastings, The Carlisle

30^th October Norwich, Waterfront Studio

31^st October Guildford, Boileroom

1^st November Cambridge, Portland Arms

5^th November Edinburgh, Bannermans

6^th November Glasgow, Classic Grand

7^th November Nottingham, Beta Rock City

8^th November Crumlin, The Patriot

12^th November Blackpool, Waterloo Music Bar

13^th November Sheffield, Corporation

26^th November Wolverhampton, KKS Steel Mill

27^th November London, Water Rats

5^th December Gravesend, Leo’s Red Lion

The Karma Effect have also today announced further details of their highly-anticipated third album ‘Cruel Intentions’. The new record is available to pre-order now across a number of CD, vinyl & digital formats, all featuring eleven rollicking new anthems (with a twelfth track, ‘Chasing Sunsets’, added to the exclusive USB bonus edition format).

Tracklisting:

Ride or Die
Dangerous Love
Lady Bohemian
Raised on Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bad Manners
Closest Thing to Crazy
Waiting on a Miracle
Better Luck Next Time
Long Gone
Cruel Intentions
One More for the Road

When The Karma Effect was quietly born in the pandemic, vocalist Henry Gottelier and guitarist Robbie Blake could hear in their heads how they wanted the project to sound. From their organic, rootsy, eponymously-titled 2022 debut, followed by 2024’s show-stopping surprise Top 20 album ‘Promised Land’, they now truly arrive with their third record, striding confidently into their role as one of British guitar music’s most exciting outfits.

Although some line-up changes occurred in the background (which saw Nathan Keevil join them on bass, Alan Taylor on drums, and Tom Pitt on keys), a turn of events that could have left them on shaky ground has instead been spun into a silver lining. Brimming with energy and fresh perspectives, the newly assembled line-up convened at The Hive Rooms, in the locale of Gatwick Airport, to nail down what would become ‘Cruel Intentions’ in July 2025. This is the album they dreamed of making: the most complete, crystal-clear realisation of their ambitions yet. It’s leaner, louder, heavier, blazing with determination, and joyously larger-than-life.

The new album is a collection which captures the visceral atmosphere of the band’s lauded live performances and is without a doubt the most complete, crystal clear realisation of the band’s ambitions yet: leaner, louder, heavier and joyously larger-than-life. Exploring notions of love, lust and danger, with dark passion and flashes of cheekiness, The Karma Effect’s new songs maintain a fine balance of swagger and wit, further advancing the band’s ‘modern vintage’ ethic – polishing up the retro sounds they were raised on into something gleaming and modern.

Take the swaggering recent single ‘Dangerous Love’ – “It’s about doing things you shouldn’t do, but you can’t stop yourself: passion overtaking your senses and your mind getting away from you,” explains Henry. Barnstorming opener ‘Ride Or Die’ is a weighty statement of intent, an early display of Gottelier’s classic ‘70s Stones meets 80’s Fairbairn-era Aerosmith songwriting chops, whilst the album’s title track ‘Cruel Intentions’, meanwhile, is about a stalker. It’s not entirely steeped in darkness, however – sometimes, there are flashes of cheekiness. ‘Better Luck Next Time’, for example, is a tongue-in-cheek meditation on feeling the sharp end of sod’s law, following someone’s day as it spirals into the stuff of farce.

‘Cruel Intentions’ is a collection which captures the visceral atmosphere of the band’s lauded live performances and is without a doubt the most complete, crystal clear realisation of the band’s ambitions yet: leaner, louder, heavier and joyously larger-than-life. Exploring love, lust and danger, with dark passion and flashes of cheekiness, these new songs balance swagger and wit, further developing the band’s ‘modern vintage’ ethos, polish up the retro sounds they were raised on into something gleaming and 21st century.

“This album is the culmination of everything we have,” says Henry. “While collaborating again with producer Michael Charman, we brought in Mercury and GRAMMY nominated Romesh Dodangoda specifically for the mix, because we were obsessed with making every single note count. The result is a sound so big, it’s a stadium experience for your ears.”

The Karma Effect’s new album ‘Cruel Intentions’ is out May 15^th, 2026 – it is available to pre-order now on signed editions, limited alt artwork editions, limited coloured vinyl & more whilst stocks last via the Earache store here.