Kodaline have released We Were Only Young, the first single from their forthcoming fifth and final studio album, due later this year via Fantasy Records. It arrives as the opening statement of a closing chapter for a band that has spent more than a decade building a global audience through direct, emotionally focused songwriting.
Written by frontman Steve Garrigan alongside producer Mads Christensen, the track centres on reflection rather than resolution. Built around piano and restrained orchestration, it traces the distance between past and present without attempting to bridge it. Garrigan frames it as a response to time passing, to recognising the value of something only after it has shifted out of reach.
That perspective aligns with where the band now sit. Since forming in Dublin in 2012, Kodaline have moved from early chart success with In A Perfect World to a sustained international presence, carried by radio play and streaming reach. Their catalogue has leaned consistently toward clarity, prioritising melody and sentiment over complexity, a choice that has defined their appeal across multiple releases.
The announcement of a final album places We Were Only Young in a broader context. It functions less as a standalone release and more as part of a structured conclusion, one that will extend into a farewell tour scheduled to move through Europe, Asia, Australia and the UK following a series of large-scale shows in Ireland.
Alongside this, the band have revisited their debut for Record Store Day 2026, expanding In A Perfect World into a 2LP release. It’s a parallel gesture that connects the starting point with the end, reinforcing a catalogue that has remained consistent in tone and intent.
Pre-order the new album HERE.
Kodaline will be heading to Australia later this year-go HERE for tickets.
AUSTRALIA
Tue Sep 01 AU, Perth – Riverside
Thu Sep 03 AU, Sydney – Enmore Theatre
Sat Sep 05 AU, Melbourne – Forum Melbourne
Sun Sep 06 AU, Brisbane – Fortitude Music Hall
