Shoegaze greats Catherine Wheel have been on a hiatus since 2000 (the same year as the release of their fifth album Wishville). Since then, the band rereleased their 1992 debut Ferment in 2010 and the individual members have gone on to work on various projects (bassist Brian Ellis has played in Serafin and with Iggy Pop, for example). In January 2022, Catherine Wheel launched a new Instagram account, and now they appear to be teasing something.
Posting on their social media, the band wrote the numbers "8365" plus a graphic with the words "It's Time" and two dates: April 18, 2023 and May 30, 2023. They shared another update with a meme bearing the words "Is this a reunion?" plus a jokey caption, "Life in the Facebook comments section as the CW social media admin. Anyway, we'll bite: is it new music? A reunion tour? A reissue? Guess we'll have to wait and see.
https://twitter.com/catherinewh33l/status/1641172895949901824
https://twitter.com/catherinewh33l/status/1640503291896377344
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Catherine Wheel were not teasing a tour or new music. They're bringing two early vinyl-only EPs to streaming services for the first time: She's My Friend, which comprises the band's first recordings, will be online April 18. Painful Thing will follow on May 30. Together they're billed as "the Norfolk remasters collection."
Chris , Paul and Ali have solved the riddle. You now get the full banner.
— the catherine wheel (@catherinewh33l) March 31, 2023
Available 18 April, for the first time WITHOUT a RECORD PLAYER!
She's My Friend EP, the very first recordings, mixed in Norfolk in 1991.
Streaming worldwide along with Painful Thing EP, coming 30 May. pic.twitter.com/XaAi3YLXpN
