William and Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain have announced a new memoir titled Never Understood: The Story of the Jesus and Mary Chain (pre-order here).
The two brothers, along with critic and writer Ben Thompson, will track the history of their band throughout the last four decades, from their origins in Scotland’s East Kilbride to their critically-lauded debut, Psychocandy, all the way to the band’s 1998 breakup and 2007 reunion.
It will also dive deep into the turmoil that both Reid brothers experienced in the band — issues with drugs, alcohol, adjustments to fame, and brotherly spats are highlighted throughout. Never Understood will be available first in the UK on August 15th (via White Rabbit), and later in the US on September 3rd (via Hatchette Books).
“It’s got plenty of warts, we can assure you of that,” said Jim Reid in a statement about the book. “In fact, it might be all warts.” Despite the jagged detours of their journey, Never Understood is described as “a love letter to the Scottish working-class family.”
The title of the memoir itself is a reference to both The Jesus and Mary Chain’s beloved 1984 track “Never Understand” as well as their lesser-known 1998 track “Never Understood.” The band opted to title it after the latter track, with publisher Lee Brackstone calling it “a perfect representation of the way this book blurs the line between the present and the distant and recent past, while illuminating hidden vistas of this legendary band’s psychic hinterland.”
Meanwhile, The Jesus and Mary Chain are gearing up for the release of their first album in seven years, Glasgow Eyes, due out March 8th. The band has previewed the LP by offering the singles “Jamcod,” “Chemical Animal,” and “Girl 71.” They’ve also mapped out an extensive tour of the UK and Europe, along with an appearance at Cruel World Festival in May; get tickets here.
