Roxanne de Bastion | Apocalypse Queen | Single Review

Singer-songwriter Roxanne de Bastion continues her shift towards a bolder and more vibrant new sound with the release of her second new single of 2026, Apocalypse Queen, with bass and production duties covered by the legend that is Tony Visconti. And with confirmation of a new album and tour to come early in 2027, Roxanne gives Louder Than War’s Ian Corbridge an exclusive interview to get some insight into her exciting new world.

Following on from the release of Roxanne de Bastion’s singleSimple Pleasures in July, her first new music for two years which heralded a new era in exploring a much bolder, brighter and more upbeat sound, we now get the release of a second single, Apocalypse Now, as well as news of a new album and accompanying tour to come early in 2027. But more than this, Roxanne confirms that this song features and was produced by legendary Bowie and T-Rex producer Tony Visconti.

Apocalypse Queen is one of two songs to feature on her forthcoming album, recorded over a 10-day period in Brooklyn and Manhattan where Bowie’s final album Blackstar was created. Alongside Visconti on bass and backing vocals, the recording featured a stellar band of musicians comprising Blackstar bandleader and saxophonist Donny McCaslin, guitarist Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, Rufus Wainwright), drummer Gunnar Olsen (Bruce Springsteen, Liam Gallagher, Miley Cyrus) and eight times Grammy Award-winning engineer, Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, Tori Amos, Kate Bush).

A song which Roxanne explains is “about embracing your strength, realising your power and unleashing our potential… possibly just in time for the end of days,” Apocalypse Queen is a big and brash statement of intent that fully reflects her new musical direction, accompanied by a video which also relays the dynamic posturing within the song. It is evident that in her new world, Roxanne is ready for anything as she sings “at the brink of extinction I make my move at the final second” in her own uniquely beautiful and exquisite vocal styling alongside the relentless pulsing rhythm and the bold textural layering in the sound.

As for the experience of recording this song in New York, Roxanne de Bastion describes this as follows: “It was a moment when everything came together for me in the most beautiful way. The energy of the city provided the perfect backdrop. Recording in the middle of Brooklyn’s industrial wasteland fitted the apocalyptic theme and I had the best time completing the tracks at Human Studios, where Bowie recorded Blackstar, and sharing so many stories between takes.” And as Roxanne also pronounces, “If we’re going out, we’re going out loud!” which is a sentiment fully reflected in Apocalypse Queen.

Roxanne’s new 10-track album, Here Lies Human, is set for release on 12 February 2027 and is described as “a curious, critical and affectionate epitaph to the beauty, strangeness and self-defeating nature of humanity”. As well as the two songs recorded in New York, a further eight songs were recorded in London with Music Producers Guild Writer-Producer of the Year and double Grammy Award-nominated producer, Steph Marziano.

To accompany the album release, Roxanne has also confirmed her first full headline UK tour for more than four years, with dates as follows:

March
15 – Brighton, Folklore
17 – Bristol, Exchange
18 – Manchester, Yes Basement
19 – Liverpool, Kazimier Stockroom
23 – Glasgow, Hug & Pint
24 – Newcastle, The Cumberland

April
21 – London, Lower Third
22 – Cambridge, Portland Arms

Tickets for all dates go on sale at 10:00 on 15 October 2026 via links here.

With so much excitement surrounding the recording of these songs and the forthcoming album and tour, Louder Than War caught up with Roxanne de Bastion for an exclusive interview to get some insight into her bold new world.

Louder Than War: The release of your most recent single Simple Pleasures in July seemed to herald a new musical chapter in your career. What were the factors that influenced this sonic shift?

Roxanne de Bastion: I found myself writing a lot of songs about the potential demise of humankind, inspired by tech autocracy, the rise of AI and fascism and our general trajectory towards a Brave New World kind of dystopia. But equally, I had a moment of just kind of remembering that songwriting is supposed to be fun. So for contrast, I really enjoyed delivering those sometimes quite dark and serious lyrics in a way that’s fun, loud, and danceable – I felt that dichotomy was kind of apt. You know, the sugar coating on the pill…

Your recent gigs in the UK to promote the single heralded your first live dates for some time mainly due to the tremendous success of your book, The Piano Player Of Budapest: A True Story Of Holocaust Survival, Music And Hope. Did the success of your book which had worldwide acclaim (and quite rightly so!) take you by surprise?

Thank you! Sharing my grandfather’s story and his music was such a gift. I was surprised at the opportunity, that’s for sure and along the way there were many moments of “Is this actually happening?”, like having the book launch at the Royal Albert Hall or getting to chat with Jools Holland about my grandfather’s music or being a guest on Woman’s Hour (total bucket list moment!), but I wasn’t surprised his story would resonate. In many ways I wish it would have resonated more! My grandfather’s (and my family’s) persecution should be a warning and a lesson in what happens when we scapegoat and blindly follow leaders. It’s terrifying to see the rise of fascism in Europe, again. We cannot allow this to happen. Never again means never again for everyone. We’re all just human and we all share this earth – we all have rights, we all deserve dignity. You’d think this is a simple message, sadly society’s memory is very poor.

How does it feel redirecting your attention back to music and performance after this lengthy hiatus, given that your last studio albumYou & Me, We Are The Same was released in 2021?

It feels amazing to finally get to shout about this album! I’m so proud of these songs and am so happy with how they turned out. To me, it doesn’t feel like there’s been a hiatus at all though. I was on tour with Howard Jones last year and recorded and released my Ultraviolet EP in October 2024 and, while it was a musical sidestep, I also released an album to accompany the book in 2023. So there’s definitely not been a break from making or releasing music.

What are the things that are inspiring your songwriting at the moment?

Oh, just the utter bizarre state of the world: tech billionaires (and one trillionaire) actively destroying the planet while building underground bunkers so they can survive the chaos and disaster they are themselves causing. Constant distractions in the form of new shiny things, the perpetual upgrade, technology designed to isolate us and to erode our very ability to think critically (read the terms and conditions kids!).

Alongside the release of your new single Apocalypse Queen, you have announced the fact that it was produced by and recorded in collaboration with the legend that is Tony Visconti. How did that come about? How was the experience of working alongside such a legendary producer and bass player as well as recording in New York?

Yes! Man I have been sitting on this info for so long, so good to finally get to talk about it and I’m glad I get to tell LTW readers first! Honestly, I just asked – I emailed Visconti’s manager with my demos. Next thing I know, I’m having coffee with Tony in Shepherd’s Bush and he’s waxing lyrical about my songs and telling me all his brilliant stories about how he met and worked with each Beatle… Fast forward a couple of months and I’m in New York recording vocals at Human Studios in the same booth that David Bowie recorded Blackstar. Utterly surreal. I love New York so much and getting to make music there, never mind with such legends, was incredible. I loved every second of it.

The band members you recorded with alongside Tony have all collaborated with some of the great names in the music business, including Bowie and Springsteen. How was that experience and what did you feel they added to the songs and recording sessions?

Honestly every musician added so much to this album – the ones who have played with David Bowie as much as those who haven’t: I love the lead guitar hook on Simple Pleasures, and that was played by the brilliant Jay Chakravorty, who plays in my band and I just LOVE all of Steph Marziano’s drumming – so creative, so fun. The musicians I got to work with in New York were all so easy to work with and they were so generous with their time and talents! For Apocalypse Queen, Ghost (aka Gerry Leonard) came prepared with really cool little guitar loops and samples he made in advance which I thought was really lovely. And, well, I just still can’t quite believe I have Donny McCaslin (Blackstar bandleader) play saxophone on this record…his incredible playing adds so much, I’m still absolutely in love with all his parts. And I just love that Tony Visconti ASKED me if I would like him to sing backing vocals on Apocalypse Queen… I was like: “Uhh yes. Yes please…!”

Has this whole collaborative experience influenced or shaped the future direction of your songwriting and sound and if so, in what way?

I think every project and every collaboration shapes you as an artist and a person. I loved working with Steph Marziano so much and feel I learnt a lot just from watching how she approaches things. The songs we made together came together so easily and everything was just so fun. I kind of forgot that it’s all supposed to be really fun, you know? And working with Tony Visconti just felt like a dream – we got on so well and, I don’t know, the whole thing just felt so magical. I’ve come away from those collaborations with a sense of freedom and a new confidence.

With all the excitement now surrounding this new single and the new album, Here Lies Human, which is due for release in February 2027, what can the world now expect from Roxanne de Bastion in the immediate future?

World domination. I didn’t crown myself Apocalypse Queen for nothing.

And with that final comment from Roxanne, I really cannot add anything further!

You can stream or buy the single here.

The new album is available for pre-order here.

You can find Roxanne de Bastion on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp and her website.

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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.