Release of Red Barked Tree

In January 2011, Wire released Red Barked Tree , which according to the band’s press release “rekindles a lyricism sometimes absent from Wire’s previous work and reconnects with the live energy of performance, harnessed and channelled from extensive touring over the past few years”. The album was written and recorded by Newman, Lewis and Grey, but speaking to Marc Riley on the day of the release, Newman introduced as “a new boy” guitarist Matt Simms (from It Hugs Back), who had been a touring member with the band since April 2010.