Alfie Boe makes songwriting debut with deeply personal new album Face Myself
- Desh Kapur
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
ALFIE BOE
Makes songwriting debut with deeply personal new album
Face Myself
Released April 10th
First single out now - ‘Meanwhile Gardens’
Alfie Boe On Tour April/May 2026
After two decades as the nation’s most beloved tenor, Alfie Boe announces his most radical creative transformation to date: the release of his first-ever album of predominantly original material, Face Myself, spearheaded by the poignant first single, ‘Meanwhile Gardens’, released today.
Moving away from the orchestral grandeur and "Opera Dude" persona that defined a record-breaking career (Including 4 UK Number 1 albums), Boe returns to his Northern heritage to deliver a raw, cinematic collection that prioritises "the man underneath" over the character on stage.
The project represents the culmination of a twenty-year secret ambition. recalling his love of the indie explosion of his youth—from The Stone Roses to The Charlatans—and mentored by rock legend Pete Townshend, Boe has traded show tunes for "raw, earthy, and real" storytelling.
Alfie said: “This is an album for the listeners - to celebrate themselves and be proud of who they are. It’s not about me, it’s about them.”
Produced by the acclaimed duo MyRiot (London Grammar, Primal Scream), the album will be released on 10th April. It is an act of radical honesty, with a vulnerability never before heard in his multi-platinum discography.
“I thought, ‘what is it about me that I have to face?’” he said. “For me, it was a number of moments in the past - my childhood, my teenage years. What got me to where I am today, my personal life. And that reflects in other songs on the album. It's been a really important lesson for me to face myself and realise who I am as an artist now and connect with that. I'm just writing from the heart and believing in what I'm saying and telling my story. Hopefully it can connect with other people and their memories and they can reflect on themselves too.”
The key to unlocking Alfie’s songwriting came from an unlikely mentor: rock legend Pete Townshend, who chose Alfie to star in the symphonic live tour of his classic rock opera Quadrophenia in 2017. The genius behind The Who offered advice: "Don't try to rhyme... just write thoughts. Free writing." That permission to be imperfect saw the lyrics pour out — banks of memories and reflections that felt "raw, earthy and real".
The first single from the new album is ‘Meanwhile Gardens’, a poignant anthem of shared resilience and the pursuit of a simpler, more grounded existence amidst the pressures of modern life.
Alfie said: “Ultimately, the song is about trusting someone close to you and asking them to believe in you. It’s about saying: ‘Let’s live our dreams together, let’s plant them, and let's travel down that road hand-in-hand.’"
The song draws on the challenges Alfie found while living in New York. He said: “There is a line about ‘Giants in a cityscape, stealing from the sugar-light stars’. That was a reflection of my time living in New York. The ‘giants’ were the buildings, which felt quite oppressive, but they also represent the ‘powers that be’—the people who give you opportunities but can also steal the light out of a dreamer's eyes. In New York, everyone pounding the sidewalk has a dream, but you also see the desperation to survive. The line ‘the pavement holds the heart of dreamers’ refers to the fact that everyone there, whether they have a home or not, is fueled by a dream.”
The ‘Meanwhile Gardens’ of the title is a real place. Alfie said: “It’s a small garden near where we were recording in West London. We wanted a connection to that sense of simplicity. To ‘plant our dreams’ there means to sit on a bench, take a moment to think and dream. You can do that in any garden or park, just by taking a moment for yourself.”
BIOGRAPHY
Alfie Boe has enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning stage, recording, and television. A hugely successful, multi-platinum selling artist, Alfie has released over a dozen studio albums, four of which have topped the UK charts. His collaborations with Michael Ball — including the record-breaking albums ‘Together, Together Again’, and ‘Back Together’ — have become some of the fastest-selling releases of the decade. Their tours have sold out arenas across the UK, delighting hundreds of thousands of fans.
The Tony Award winner has conquered the world’s greatest opera stages and arenas and led the cast of Les Misérables in his defining role as Jean Valjean. Most recently Alfie starred in the concert tour of Les Misérables in Australia as well as the Arena Spectacular tour across the UK. Having appeared at some of the most respected venues and events worldwide: from Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to the Royal Albert Hall, Alfie was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his outstanding services to music and charity.
From his early days in Lancashire to the world’s grandest stages, Alfie has become one of the most versatile and admired artists of his generation. Excited to be heading out on his UK tour next year, the new ‘Facing Myself’ dates promise a night of music and memories, celebrating the very best of his incredible journey so far along with new music.
UK TOUR DATES 2026
Tuesday 14 April - Dundee, Caird Hall
Wednesday 15 April - Aberdeen Music Hall
Friday 17 April - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Saturday 18 April - Edinburgh Usher Hall
Monday 20 April - Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Tuesday 21 April - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Thursday 23 April - Gateshead Sage
Friday 24 April - Hull City Hall
Saturday 25 April - Blackpool Opera House
Monday 27 April - Liverpool Philharmonic
Tuesday 28 April - York Barbican
Wednesday 29 April - Harrogate Royal Hall
Friday 01 May - Sheffield City Hall
Saturday 02 May - Leicester De Montfort Hall
Monday 04 May - Milton Keynes Theatre
Tuesday 05 May - Bath Forum
Thursday 07 May - Warwick Arts Centre
Friday 08 May - Birmingham Symphony Hall
Saturday 09 May - Ipswich Regent
Monday 11 May - Kings Lynn Corn Exchange
Tuesday 12 May - Skegness Embassy Theatre
Wednesday 13 May - Cambridge Corn Exchange
Friday 15 May - Oxford New Theatre
Saturday 16 May - Torquay Princess Theatre
Sunday 17 May -Truro Hall For Cornwall
Tuesday 19 May - Llandudno Venue Cymru Theatre
Wednesday 20 May - Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Friday 22 May - Guildford G Live
Saturday 23 May - Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Sunday 24 May - Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
Tuesday 26 May - London Royal Albert Hall
Wednesday 27 May - Eastbourne Congress Theatre
Friday 29 May - Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre
Saturday 30 May - Swansea Arena
Sunday 31 May - Cardiff New Theatrend the world, leaving a profound cultural impact and cementing a legacy that spans entertainment, business, education, and beyond.