Manchester-based collective Hello Cosmos have returned with a new single, “Love Is Waiting”, marking the latest release from their EP Old Friends Know, out now via Cosmic Glue.
The track emerges from the same creative sessions that produced their recent album Come Out Tonight, recorded at Greenmount Studios in Leeds. Working with established collaborators Rob Slater and Jamie Lockhart, the band have delivered what they describe as a more restrained and reflective composition.
A quieter creative approach shaped in the studio
“Love Is Waiting” was the final track recorded during the Come Out Tonight sessions, capturing a distinct tonal shift for the group. Known for their expansive and often high-energy sound, this release instead leans into subtlety and atmosphere.
Frontman Ben Robinson explained the intent and process behind the track:
“An ode to the realities of true love being forgotten in the everyday and how it’s always waiting for us if we go out into the world to find nature or people to share our lives with. Angela Chan features with some stunning violin fx and analogue tape machines were experimentally used to give some texture and hiss to the piano and guitar parts.
I’ve never sang in such a soft range before, When Rob & Jamie just kept saying ‘sing quieter, no quieter.. no even quieter’ I checked it wasn’t an April fools as it felt so odd given my usual style of vocals. I loved the result so much we’ve recorded a full record in the same vein which should be out later in the year”
Old Friends Know EP expands sonic palette
Remixes and reinterpretations add new dimensions
The single forms part of the Old Friends Know EP, which showcases a more subdued side of Hello Cosmos. The EP includes a single version of its title track alongside a remix by Lost Colours, who rework the material into lo-fi electronica suited to late-night settings.
Producer Joe Thompson also contributes a reimagined version of “Awake and Bake”, introducing new synth-driven textures under his Modsync alias. Together, these additions broaden the sonic scope of the original recordings while maintaining a cohesive tone.
A decade milestone and renewed momentum
New album and global recording process
The latest releases coincide with the band marking ten years as a recording project. Alongside new singles and live activity, they have unveiled Come Out Tonight, their first full studio album in over five years, following their 2020 debut Dream Harder.
The album reflects an increasingly international creative process, with recording sessions taking place across New York, Los Angeles, Kampala, Leeds, Stockport and Manchester. Despite this global reach, production remains anchored in Leeds through Jamie Lockhart, who has worked on all of the band’s studio releases.
Digital themes and cultural commentary
Robinson has also outlined the thematic direction of forthcoming material, positioning it as a response to modern digital habits and social behaviour:
“A lot of the upcoming record is about finding the strength to switch off digital screens and go out and live. It’s becoming more and more normalised to stay in, comatosed by ultraprocessed food and algorithms firing shallow dopamine hits, keeping us all hooked on a short wavelength, gradually becoming dumber, hopeless and unhealthy… We all need to wake each other up, get off the cool aid of digital apps, social media and algorithmic scrolling.”
Evolving line-up and future releases
Expanded ensemble supports next phase
The current line-up of Hello Cosmos features Ben Robinson alongside his brother Simon on drums, with Angela Chan contributing strings and synthesisers. The group is further supported by Isaac Dobson on bass and percussion, Alex Beston on guitar, Frankie Pigeon on saxophone and synths, and Oli Brown on harmonica.
Behind the scenes, the band have also been developing their own studio space and independent label, Cosmic Glue, signalling a more self-sufficient approach to production and distribution.
Looking ahead, additional projects are already in progress, including another full-length record and a more ambient, “comedown”-style album expected in the near future.
For now, “Love Is Waiting” provides a clear indication of the band’s evolving direction—one that balances introspection with experimentation—as Hello Cosmos enter a new phase of activity.
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