The Hives tell us about fighting back on ‘Enough Is Enough’ and their new album: “We’re at the peak of our powers”

The Hives have returned with single ‘Enough Is Enough’ along with details of new album called ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’, and a UK and European arena tour. Check it all out below along with NME’s interview with frontman Pelle Almqvist.

Their seventh album comes in relatively quick succession to 2023’s ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons‘ – the Swedish indie icons’ first LP in 11 years. It will arrive on Friday August 29 via PIAS. Announcing the album via a livestream from Mexico City, the band hailed it as “a new record so full of energy, joy, anger and life that you will be questioning reality as you have known it”.

“The Hives are back again: faster than expected and better than ever,” Almqvist told NME. “I really think this album is my favourite Hives album. After 30 years of being a band, we’re at the peak of our powers. That doesn’t happen a lot. I’ve studied rock history and it’s super rare. Judge for yourselves, but I’m assuming you’re going to agree.”

The record is launched by the punchy call-to-arms single ‘Enough Is Enough’, with a video showing Almqvist as a boxing champ as he spits the opening lines: “Everyone’s a little fucking bitch, and I’m getting sick and tired of it”.

“I think ‘Enough Is Enough’ got picked as a single really early when there were demos because our manager thought it would sell concert tickets,” the frontman told us. “They wanted to release that first because it’s got a big riff and it’s a perfect tempo for a crowd to jump up and down. It got picked so early when the other songs weren’t done, but I really like how it starts: ‘Everyone’s a little fucking bitch…’ That’s as close to political commentary as you’re gonna get! Basically, ‘Fuck both sides’.”

Asked if that same rage and antagonistic energy was across the whole album, he replied: “It is. I didn’t notice it at the time, but a lot of the lyrics are about breaking rules. That’s what rock’n’roll sounds like, so the lyrics should be about that too. That’s a running thread through a bunch of the songs.”

‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’ was recorded between Yung Lean/YEAR0001’s and Riksmixningsverket studios in Stockholm – with longtime collaborator Pelle Gunnerfeldt [Viagra Boys, Yung Lean, Elvira] – as well as in Malibu with co-producer Mike D from Beastie Boys. Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age also contributed to the record in an advisory role.

Check out our full interview with Almqvist below, as he tells us about playing with Arctic Monkeys, working with his heroes, feud with Viagra Boys, and making a “raw as fuck” album of “12 singles”.

NME: Hello Pelle. The last time we spoke, you were about to were about to go on stage in London while supporting Arctic Monkeys. How was that tour? Was there any concern about being the fucking Hives and blowing the headliner off stage? 

Pelle Almqvist: “I mean it’s not really a concern. We’re different enough that we can both win in different ways! That’s what we were there for. They’re clever people, those Arctic Monkeys. I think [having us support] was also partly because there was some public opinion about their recent albums not being punk rock bangers. If you throw in The Hives, you get enough of that for them to then play whatever they want. It was a clever move on their part, but we’re also very thankful. It was a very fun tour.”

What’s it like to be in The Hives in 2025? From blowing Glastonbury wide open to ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’ getting so much goodwill?

“You never know, but it feels like there was a lot of love for us. People missed us, or something like us. There were a lot of young people who wouldn’t have been into music 11 years ago.

“There were a lot of new and old fans and a lot of love. It felt good to be back, and also very cathartic after 10 years of not really releasing any music.”

What led you to go back into the studio so quickly for ‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’?

“We owe it to ourselves. After more than 10 years for a record, we were overdue for more music. We didn’t want to talk about it when we released ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’, but some of these songs already existed. We kind of knew that there might be another album coming, but we didn’t want to talk about that and ruin the last one. We kept it a secret.

“We’re in a great place. We’ve never had ‘momentum’ in our career. It was always like, ‘Make album, tour for three years, forget who you are for one year, start over’. Now we’re experimenting with momentum so we’ll see if that works to catapult us onto stadiums or whatever!”

How would you describe the character of this record and what sets it apart from ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’? 

“Well, in the planning stages we thought, ‘Arena Hives – what would that be like?’ We’ve toured with The Rolling Stones and AC/DC and stuff. We never thought we really liked the big arena and stadium thing, but it turns out it’s pretty fun. We had a vague idea of what that would be like and basically tried to make an album of 12 singles.

“You start the record and every song is really different from one another – There are soul ballads, synth pop – but when you’re done it all just sounds like The Hives. We only finished it on Thursday so I’m too close to it to really know, but it feels like the grown-up sibling of ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons’. We thought it was going to be more polished, but it’s still raw as fuck. It’s pretty bad-ass.”

What does Mike D bring to the table?

“We started making the record with Pelle Gunnerfeldt, who we’ve worked with for 25 years since our first album. He’s amazing and the best in Sweden at recording everyone in a band all at once. He’s recently done Viagra Boys and Yung Lean, but he started out when we were coming up.

“We recorded with him which was such a familiar situation that it was almost impossible to get excited about anything but the songs. We threw Mike D into the mix because when we were growing up, there was nothing cooler than The Beastie Boys. Their records sound so fucking cool. He flew over and made everyone really nervous. When he came in, Pelle Gunnerfeldt started stumbling over cables and stuff so everyone got kind of star-struck. It was an important boost of energy for the sessions.”

The Beastie Boys, like The Hives, didn’t really deal much in humility…

“Yeah, and The Beastie Boys is our favourite sounding music: it sounds massive but it’s really raw. That’s what we’ve always been into.”

To what extent was Josh Homme involved in the record? 

“Kind of more in an advisory capacity. We talked about the songs a bunch. We hadn’t been in the studio together but we’re friends so we’d meet up when we’re in LA or whatever. We’d play the songs to him and he’d chuck some advice at it.”

Each album from The Hives comes with a new black and white uniform. What are you going for this time?

“For the first time, we’re not wearing the same uniform from the record on stage but it’s big capes and crowns! We made replicas of the St Edward’s Crown from a woman in India; that’s the crown that Prince Charles wore for his coronation. Apparently it’s the most iconic crown, so we made replicas of that with big capes of rabbit fur and velvet.”

You can’t really wear that on stage…

“It’s a little complicated. The crown is so heavy and it hurts to wear, so you kind of start to think that’s the reason why kings kill their subjects. If you wear that thing, you’d be annoyed all the time.”

How are things with Viagra Boys? Have you guys reached a truce?

“It goes back and forth between love and hate. It’s a temporary truce, but we’ll see. We’re both playing a big arena in Stockholm later this fall, so maybe we’re going to have to dig up the hatchet at that time. We’re wearing the crown so obviously we’re better.”

Do you think you could ride the momentum and make yet another Hives album soon?

“It’s a bit too soon to say. It’s difficult enough to make one record, let alone two. A third one? I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I’m not going to rule it out. What’s next is to release the record and play it live. The venues are much bigger this time, but it’s kind of the same job: get up on stage and destroy everything.”

‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’ will be released on Friday August 29 via PIAS – pre-order the album here. Check out the full tracklist below.

‘(Introduction)’
‘Enough Is Enough’
‘Hooray Hooray Hooray’
‘Bad Call’
‘Paint A Picture’
‘O.C.D.O.D’
‘Legalize Living’
‘(Interlude)’
‘Roll Out The Red Carpet’
‘Born A Rebel’
‘They Can’t Hear The Music’
‘Path Of Most Resistance’
‘The Hives Forever Forever The Hives’

The Hives’ 2025 UK and European tour dates are below. Tickets are on sale from 10am on Friday April 11. Visit here for tickets and more information.

OCTOBER
17– Sentrum Scene, Oslo
18 – KB Hall, Copenhagen
21 – Colombia Halle, Berlin
24 – Zenith, Munich
25 – Haus Auensee, Leipzig
26 – Gasometer, Vienna
28 – Xtra, Zurich

NOVEMBER
1 – San Jordi Club, Barcelona
2– Movistar Arena, Madrid
4 – Sagres Campo Pequeño, Lisbon
19 – Forest National, Brussels 
20 – Le Zenith, Paris
22 – AFAS, Amsterdam
24 – Utilita Arena , Cardiff
26 – Ovo Hydro, Glasgow
28 – Aviva Studios, Manchester
29 – Alexandra Palace, London

DECEMBER
1 – Palladium, Cologne
2 – Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt
3 – Sporthalle, Hamburg
6 – Avicii Arena, Stockholm

The post The Hives tell us about fighting back on ‘Enough Is Enough’ and their new album: “We’re at the peak of our powers” appeared first on NME.