John Grant has shared a controversial new single from his much-anticipated new album The Art Of The Lie, due out June 14 via [PIAS] Recordings.

The sumptuous, synth-laden single and LP highlight ‘The Child Catcher‘ sees Grant meditating on the mental stain left on anyone who encounted the demonic villain of the film ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, who would entice children with the promise of sweets, only to imprison them.

With lines like “he beckons you to come inside his brightly colored carriage/that’s where the coupling happens, ending in a dead marriage” he hints at darker parallels from real life rather than mere make believe.

Commenting on the track Grant says: “I’m sure many of you remember the child catcher from ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. Terrified me when I was a kid. Of course he’s a metaphor. Anyway, here’s ‘The Child Catcher’ from my upcoming record The Art of The Lie, which is also a love letter to both Dead Can Dance and Vangelis, I suppose, two of my all-time favourites.”

The Art Of The Lie started life in 2022, after John had been introduced to Ivor Guest, producer and composer at Grace Jones’ Southbank show, the finale of her Meltdown Festival. They began talking about two records Guest had worked on, ‘Hurricane’ for Jones, ‘Prohibition’ for Brigitte Fontaine. “Grace and Brigitte are two very big artists for me,” says Grant. “I love the albums he did for them. ‘Hurricane’ is an indispensable piece of Grace’s catalogue.” An idea was sparked. “I said, I really think you should do this next record with me. He said, I think you’re right.”

Grant likens the musical flavours of The Art Of The Lie to the sumptuous Vangelis soundtrack for Bladerunner or the Carpenters if John Carpenter were also a member. While undeniably a John Grant record, nestling humour into tragedy, bleeding anger into compassion, there is a musical ambition and nerve to The Art Of The Lie which offsets its most political and personal moments.

Pre-order The Art of the Lie on vinyl, pink vinyl or CD here