De Staat release new single "THE UNDERDOG"
De Staat | Photo Credit: Kees De Klein
Following a two-year hiatus, Nijmegen art rock band De Staat made their long-awaited return in April with single ‘THE KING’. The band's seventh album, DE STAAT (THE STATE), arrives on the 18th of September via V2 Records, and today sees the release of the fourth single, ‘THE UNDERDOG’ - a contorted, organ-driven track that marks the most unexpected sonic moment on the record yet.
Themes of power, manipulation, misinformation and autocracy have always run through De Staat's work, but never with the urgency they carry now. Frontman Torre Florim explains: "As a band, we've long explored ideas around power, faith, and the increasingly blurred line between reality and fiction. The world we're living in has pulled us further down that dark path, and suddenly it feels as though the name we chose 25 years ago has taken on a whole new weight - as if everything we've made has been unconsciously building towards this moment. That's why our seventh album is called DE STAAT."
Where the previous single ‘THE FIRE’ followed a cheerful bystander rowing downstream while the world burned overseas, ‘THE UNDERDOG’ turns the camera upward. It is about what happens when the pressure from below finally becomes unbearable - a coalition of the fed-up, from left to right and black to white, united and aimed squarely at those at the top. A processed, contorted organ drives the track while Torre delivers his most vulnerable vocal performance to date, falsetto prominent throughout, before the whole thing builds into a huge, bass-heavy finish.
"When the same is still the same, and when there's no one left to blame, turn your eyes to the boys at the top."
Listen to ‘THE UNDERDOG’ here
Watch the music video below
The forthcoming Dutch live shows have been developed in collaboration with director Floor Houwink ten Cate (Battlefield of Dreams, Brabo Leone), audiovisual artist Boris Acket (Joep Beving, Fred Again..), lighting designer Freek Ros (Wende, Altın Gün), visual artist Tarik Barri (Thom Yorke, Nicolas Jaar) and audio designer Reinier Rietveld (Craigie Horsefield). The show's dystopian themes feel more timely than ever. Alongside three exclusive conceptual performances, the band will also play a wider run of live dates across the EU and UK.
DE STAAT BECOMES DE STAAT LIVE:
Sep. 25, 2026 - De Casino Concertzaal - Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Oct. 2, 2026 - De Staat Becomes De Staat | Koninklijk Theater Carré - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct. 3, 2026 - De Staat Becomes De Staat | Koninklijk Theater Carré - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct. 27, 2026 - Karlstorbahnhof - Klub K - Heidelberg, Germany
Oct. 28, 2026 - Gebäude 9 - Cologne, Germany
Oct. 30, 2026 - KENT Club - Hamburg, Germany
Oct. 31, 2026 - Lido - Berlin, Germany
Nov. 1, 2026 - Futurum Music Bar - Praha, Czech Republic
Nov. 2, 2026 - Ampere - Munich, Germany
Nov. 4, 2026 - Komplex - Zurich, Switzerland
Nov. 5, 2026 - Usine à Gaz - Nyon, Switzerland
Nov. 6, 2026 - La Maroquinerie - Paris, France
Nov. 7, 2026 - Cactus Café - Brugge, Belgium
Nov. 9, 2026 - Thekla - Bristol, United Kingdom
Nov. 10, 2026 - Band on the Wall - Manchester, United Kingdom
Nov. 11, 2026 - The Grand Social - Dublin, Ireland
Nov. 13, 2026 - King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Nov. 14, 2026 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, United Kingdom
Nov. 15, 2026 - Scala - London, United Kingdom
ABOUT DE STAAT
De Staat is known as one of Europe's most inventive and fearless live acts, partly due to their constant pushing of the boundaries of what a rock band can be. From the rousing battle cries of Witch Doctor to the razor-sharp commentary of KITTY KITTY, De Staat has long explored themes such as demagoguery and mass manipulation. De Staat have played at major festivals, sometimes even as headliners, such as SXSW, Glastonbury, Lowlands, Sziget, Boomtown, Pukkelpop and Deichbrand. The band have also toured with major acts such as The Rolling Stones, Muse and Biffy Clyro. De Staat's music ranges from industrial grooves and heavy riffs to experimental electronica and pop sensibilities, and has been featured in global campaigns and games. In addition, their music has earned the quintet Edison Awards, 3FM Awards, multiple music video awards, a Bernays Lifetime Achievement Award and international critical acclaim.
DE STAAT are
Torre Florim
Jop van Summeren
Rocco Hueting
Vedran Mirčetić
Tim van Delft
