Mick McConnell will release his new studio album Things Are Looking Up on 9 November, with an extensive run of UK dates getting underway later this month. The guitarist, singer and songwriter will take Blue Thunder on the road from 19 October, with headline dates, festival appearances and a co-headline show with Hannah Wicklund among the autumn schedule.
Produced by Stuart McCreadie and McConnell, Things Are Looking Up places songwriting firmly at the centre of McConnell’s blues-rock sound. Across ten tracks, the album moves between optimism, self-reflection and a distinctly tongue-in-cheek look at mortality, drawing on a writing career that predates his work as an internationally touring guitarist.
Songs at the heart
McConnell spent part of his earlier career working as an in-house songwriter for Warner Chappell, an experience that continues to shape the way he approaches blues-rock. Rather than building songs simply as vehicles for extended guitar work, his focus remains on melodies, choruses and lyrics that can stand on their own.
That approach runs through Things Are Looking Up. The title track brings a sense of optimism, while ‘Worst Of Me’ turns inwards for a more reflective look at the human condition. ‘Pearly Gates’, meanwhile, tackles mortality from a more humorous angle, helping give the album a broader emotional range.
The ten-track record also includes ‘Back In Town’, ‘Ain’t Gonna Lose’, ‘All About It’, ‘Rip It Up’, ‘Tie Me Down’, ‘Stop Stop Stop’ and ‘Stitch On Me’. It follows McConnell’s 2017 solo album Under My Skin, which was made with Grammy-winning producer Blue Miller and reached number 13 on the European Blues Chart.
Blue Thunder gathers momentum
McConnell formed Blue Thunder in 2023 to take his own material onto the live blues-rock circuit. In a relatively short period, the band has progressed from smaller club appearances to headline shows and festival stages, including the Blackpool International Blues Festival and the Looe Blues Festival.
Their first nationwide headline run culminated in a show at London’s 100 Club, while the current line-up features McConnell on lead vocals and guitar alongside Tsutomu “Atom” Abe on keyboards, Lincoln Roth on bass and vocals, Bob Pears on drums and Donna Thompson on backing vocals. The combination gives McConnell room to keep the songs at the forefront while still delivering the guitar-led sound expected from his live shows.
The coming tour begins at Blues At The Angel in Bardney on 19 October, followed by Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre on 21 October. A co-headline appearance with Hannah Wicklund follows at Yardbirds in Grimsby on 22 October, with acoustic support from The Boneshakers.
Mick McConnell & Blue Thunder UK dates
19 October – Blues At The Angel, Bardney
21 October – Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre, Barnoldswick
22 October – Yardbirds, Grimsby, co-headline with Hannah Wicklund
23 October – Blues Bar, Harrogate
24 October – The Flying Circus, Newark
25 October – The Grove, Leeds
27 October – Tuesday Night Music Club, Coulsdon
28 October – Wem Town Hall, Wem
29 October – Tapestry Arts Centre, Bradford
30 October – Duck & Drake, Leeds
1 November – The Clutha, Glasgow
5 November – 13 Market Place, Kendal
6 November – Blues At The Bay, Eaglescliffe
7 November – Whitby Brewery, Whitby
4 December – Looe Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival
6 December – The Grove, Leeds
10 December – Smile Bar, Huddersfield
Things Are Looking Up will be released on Monday 9 November 2026, with CDs also available to buy at McConnell’s forthcoming live dates. https://www.mickmcconnell.com/
Mick McConnell will also be interviewed in the November 2026 issue of Blues Matters.
