New albums March 2020: 10 releases you need to hear this month, from Lauv to Brian Eno

Headphones at the ready, because March looks like it’s going to be an absolute treat when it comes to new music.

We’ve picked out 10 upcoming albums that we’re particularly intrigued to hear, but there is plenty that we didn’t include. Stephen Malkmus, Nazar, U.S. Girls, Pearl Jam, TOKiMONSTA, Circa Waves and Ian William Craig are just a few of the artists whose new stuff we can’t wait to wrap our ears around this month.

Where possible, we’ve listed London tour dates for each of the artists below. If you like what you hear, then be sure to nab a ticket.

These are the albums you need to listen to this March.

Anna Calvi — Hunted (March 6)

The Mercury-nominated album Hunter is reexamined on this release, as Anna Calvi welcomes Julia Holter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Courtney Barnett and Joe Talbot of IDLES to reshape seven tracks from the release.

Where to see them live: All Points East festival, Victoria Park, May 29, buy tickets here

Jhené Aiko — Chilombo (March 6)

The Los Angeles singer returns with her third album Chilombo, promising to be a sensual, velvety collection of R&B. The latest single, P*$$Y FAIRY (OTW), is decideldy NSFW.

LAUV — ~how i’m feeling~ (March 6)

After writing hits for the likes of Charli XCX and Celine Dion, and featuring on a track with BTS, the American 25-year-old makes his long-awaited debut with this confessional first studio album.

Where to see them live: O2 Academy Brixton, November 17, buy tickets here

Shabaka and the Ancestors — We Are Sent Here By History (March 13)

Jazz visionary Shabaka Hutchings returns with his Ancestors collective, with an album-length “sonic poem”, described as “a meditation on the fact of our coming extinction as a species”.

Where to see them live: Cross The Tracks festival, Brockwell Park, June 7, buy tickets here

Alicia Keys — Alicia (March 20)

Alicia Keys returns with her seventh album, the recording of which coincided with the writing of an autobiography — doing both was “the best therapy I ever had,” Keys said last year.

Where to see them live: The O2, June 10, buy tickets here

Låpsley — Through Water (March 20)

British artist Låpsley apparently had 100 songs to choose from for her second album, but has narrowed them down to just 10. Lead single Womxn is an optimistic, assured slice of synth-pop.

Roger Eno and Brian Eno — Mixing Colours (March 20)

Brian Eno’s brother, Roger, is an accomplished musician in his own right but this album is the pair’s first ever collaborative effort, with work starting all the way back in 2005.

Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela — Rejoice (March 20)

Before his passing in 2018, Hugh Masekela, the father of South African jazz, recorded this album with Afrobeat master Tony Allen. Now, we finally get to hear it — with those two together, it’s bound to be special.

The Weeknd — After Hours (March 20)

Fresh from fighting with Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, The Weeknd returns with another collection of woozy, heart-aching tunes. The first singles suggest some 80s influence among his usual R&B.

Where to see them live: The O2, October 11-13, buy tickets here

Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud (March 27)

This is Katie Crutchfield’s fifth album under her Waxahatchee moniker. “I made a choice to take my time with this album,” the musician wrote on her website in January, “riding every anxious, emotional wave all the way out.”

Where to see them live: Islington Assembly Hall, June 27, buy tickets here