Sometimes a mystery name on a festival lineup is just marketing fluff. Sometimes it’s this.
TOMORA, the newly revealed duo of Tom Rowlands (of The Chemical Brothers) and Norwegian alt-pop force AURORA, have officially announced their debut album Come Closer, landing April 17 via Fontana. This is where I smash my keyboard in excitement.
So, what is TOMORA?
TOMORA is what happens when two artists with wildly strong creative identities stop circling each other and commit.
Rowlands and AURORA have a history; she featured on three tracks from The Chemical Brothers’ 2019 album No Geography, including ‘Eve of Destruction’, and Rowlands later contributed to AURORA’s 2024 album What Happened to the Heart?. This project feels less like a side quest and more like a full “okay, let’s build a world” moment.
Come Closer: The Album Details
Come Closer is a 12-track debut that includes previously released fan-favourite ‘Ring the Alarm’, plus the brand new title track ‘Come Closer’, which is out now.
According to TOMORA, they made this album without pressure, obligation, or expectation, just joy, curiosity, and creative chaos at its best.
“We made it without obligation or expectation, just a joy in creation. It’s the sound where we meet, the landing zone of our musical escape pods.”
We love an escape pod, and would like to order several. Please. Thank you.
Come Closer Tracklist:
- Please
- Come Closer
- A Boy Like You
- Ring the Alarm
- My Baby
- Have You Seen Me Dance Alone?
- Somewhere Else
- I Drink the Light
- Wavelengths
- Side by Side
- The Thing
- In a Minute
The album will be available digitally, on CD, standard black vinyl, and limited-edition coloured vinyl for collectors (and the aesthetically unwell among us).
New single: ‘Come Closer’
The title track arrives alongside an official video directed by Adam Smith and S T A R T !, long-time visual collaborators in the Chemical Brothers universe.
Live shows incoming (yes, already)
Before they even hit Coachella, TOMORA will play their first-ever headline shows in the UK this March:
Tour dates
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| March 25 | Manchester | New Century Hall |
| March 26 | London | EartH Hackney |
Visual direction for the shows is again handled by Adam Smith, which feels important if you know anything about Chemical Brothers’ live sets. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 13, at 10 am via Live Nation.
From there, it’s straight into festival mode, including Coachella, NOS Alive, Bilbao BBK Live, ØYA, Sziget, and more.
Why this matters (and why we’re excited)
What makes TOMORA interesting is the way this project refuses to feel like a compromise. It’s two artists fully leaning into their instincts and seeing how far they can push each other.
There’s something deeply refreshing about music that sounds like it was made because two people wanted to make it. Not because an algorithm suggested it, not because a trend demanded it, but because the chemistry was already there. It’s a passion project. We need so much more of that.
And frankly? We are extremely ready to experience this in a dark room with very loud speakers. Gimme.
Stay unruly.
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