On 30 January 2026, British band Only The Poets is releasing their highly anticipated debut, And I’d Do It Again.

For those who may not know, Only The Poets is a four-piece band from Reading, consisting of Tommy Longhurst (singer), Andrew “Roo” Burge (bassist), Clem Cherry (guitarist), and Marcus Yates (drummer). The band started by releasing an EP called demos., full of demo versions of some of their first songs back in 2021, before joining Louis Tomlinson for the European leg of his first tour as a solo artist. After releasing a couple more singles and EPs, they released One More Night in 2024. This has been their biggest EP so far, and after a little time away to focus on writing, they have come back with a fantastic debut album. The album touches on topics of love, loss, mental health, and emotional resilience, sharing their truth through lived experiences.

“And I’d Do It Again” is the first song on the album. It’s a really nice start and opener to it all, being just over one minute long and fully instrumental. It’s very calming yet exciting, feeling like they are getting us ready for what’s to come on the album.

“Monumental” has recently been teased on Instagram, releasing a very short snippet for fans to hear. This song talks about how quickly a past partner moved on, how they didn’t take well to loneliness, and felt they had to be with someone. This song feels quite cathartic in a way; the sound is quite easy-going, and I am very excited to see what they do with it live.

“Emotionally Hungover” was the third single to be released from the album. This song is about not really knowing how to deal with your emotions and not doing well, comparing it to the feeling of being hungover. This song has vocals that come closer to “screaming” vocals, which fans have been taking very excitedly during shows, screaming the lyrics back at the band.

“Thinking Bout Your Ex” was the sixth and final single released before the official album was unleashed. Already from the start, this song sounds very different, feeling very chilled out compared to the rest. This song talks about the jealousy of a partner’s ex quite frequently and about feeling insecure in their own relationship.

“Saké” was the first single released after the album announcement, coming out on September 3. This was probably the most anticipated song, having been played live multiple times, and fans enjoyed the catchy melody. The beat is very funky, sounding very different from the other songs on the album. The song is about a Japanese iconic smooth rice wine, and it is a deal-breaker if the girl they’re talking to doesn’t like it.

“You Hate That I’m In Love”  was the second single released. This song talks about a past partner being jealous of your current relationship and how difficult that can be to navigate. It talks about happiness in a current situation, while some past feelings still might not be resolved. This song is quite groovy and has a really catchy bridge near the end, switching up the melody just slightly.

“Madeline” is a beautifully emotional song. Singer Tommy has talked about how difficult it was for him to write that song emotionally; however, drummer Marcus mentioned how quickly the song actually came together — in just 10 minutes! This song is about anxieties, being alone, and honesty, admitting that you haven’t been a great partner, telling them how you truly feel, and stepping away from the situation. This is truly a brilliant song, full of raw emotion, and the sentiments are put into words so well. This will for sure be one for fans to love.

“Freeze” is one of the band’s favourite songs on the record, and with good reason. This song is very interesting vocally as it has many harmonies, not only during the chorus. It talks about wanting to freeze time with the person they are with, realizing they have been running their whole life, and they don’t want to anymore—they’ve found the person they want to be with.

“SAY!” is definitely the song that caught my attention during my first listen. The verses are so smooth and transition very suddenly into the chorus, which layers the basic melody with backing vocals shouting “SAY” all throughout the chorus. It talks about being in too deep, begging a person to tell them that they are missed and that they do actually want them. The ending fades out very smoothly, too, making you wish there was more of the song left.

“God Knows Where You Were” has been causing massive excitement within the fandom since the listening parties. Fans have really been resonating with this song, and with good reason. The song starts relatively slow and calm before going right into a groovy chorus. Part of the chorus sounds very chant-like and is repeated every chorus: “God knows where you were my whole life.” They slow the song down again near the end before jumping right back into the chorus to tie it together. This song really feels like it’s written about a person someone is deeply in love with and wishes they had met sooner in life.

“Don’t Wanna Know” is about not wanting to know where the person they are involved with is going or what they are doing when they aren’t together. It’s about them wanting to look after themselves and protect their peace by living in denial in a way. The chorus is extremely catchy, and you will be singing along by the end of your first listen.

“Bad” is a song that the band put a lot of time into, redoing it at least 10 times, but never giving up on it, as they felt it was one worth all the development. Let me tell you, this effort was definitely worth it. The changes from the high notes to the instrumental to the tempo of the song make it sound like none of the other songs on the record, and it really needs to be appreciated. This is definitely a song that you will not forget.

“I Keep On Messing It Up” was the first single released before the album was even announced, coming out on February 26. This was such a fantastic song to release as the first single — it’s very upbeat and has quite a similar sound to their previous songs. The fans have been loving this song ever since it came out, and it’s definitely a staple of their current shows.

“Guess She’s Cool” was the fourth single released, marking the end of the album. This song ends the album on a slower note while still maintaining their iconic sound. The vocals on this song sound quite raw and full of emotion, exhibiting jealousy and missing a past partner, while comparing them to the person you are currently with.

“The album is about the chances you take, the sacrifices you make, and the moments that shape who you are. It’s about holding on to what matters most and owning your story. Every high, every low, every mistake, it’s all in here. In these moments, we think to ourselves: despite it all, if you could rewind and change any of it, would you? No.

And I’d Do It Again.“

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