THE STRANGER INSIDE THE SELF (2026) – PRESS RELEASE –
The Stranger Inside The Self is the beginning of IT. A project that started solo but developed over the years to a fully-fledged band now with a catalogue of releases. The original album was written, recorded and produced by Nick Jackson, at the young age of 20, back in 1994. It was only ever released on self-made cassettes. Since then, it has been buried under several albums, including the first ‘professionally’ released album Over and Out in 2002. Over the years The Stranger Inside The Self album became almost lost and a distant memory of a new beginning.
“In 2020, after several IT fans had somehow got a hold of the long-deleted The Stranger Inside the Self recordings, and with more asking for a copy, I reluctantly gave them one”, Nick Jackson recalls. “As this request began to snowball and IT’s 30th year anniversary was just over the horizon, I somehow got the bright idea to revisit the album and initially fix the mix and remaster. Well, I quickly learnt that that doesn’t happen so easily. And a new journey had begun in which we chased TSITS into what has become a complete remake album, of the original 1994 version.”
This new 2026 version didn’t come easy. It brought a new way of working for IT and had its challenges. Used to starting with an empty canvas, a clean slate. IT were tied to bettering something that had already been created and previously released. Honouring the original recordings, musical parts and lyrics became a task that really challenged the band. A challenge the band feels they accomplished to the best of their abilities whilst preserving the detail of the original album.
The Stranger Inside The Self (2026) is comprised of 10 tracks, just like the original.
All the songs and 95% of the lyrics are as they were. The only exception, a title change on one song. (The Last Of November, now renamed Do You Remember?)
“The Stranger Inside The Self 2026, is essentially how the original should’ve been”. Nick Jackson describes. The new album will be released in a double CD digipak with a 20-page booklet of newly created artwork by Andy Rowberry. The CD package contains both the 2026 and 1994 versions of the album, on 2 separate CDs. (The 1994 version will not be available anywhere else.) Every CD package will also additionally receive the digital high-resolution version to download. Those who pre-order the album will receive a code to download the track ’To Have And To Hold’ upon purchase.
Pre-order for the album opens on Friday, August 21st with several different packages available on the band’s Bandcamp site. You can pre-order the digital, to the double CD package, through to an ‘Ultimate Package’. This will include the double CD album, a T-Shirt, beer mats, a commemorative cassette (with the new 2026 album version on it, limited to 15 copies) and an invitation to a listening party at the band’s studio, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 3rd. Purchasers will be able to bring one guest with them. Attendees will hear the album where it was made and includes refreshments and a Q&A. Guests will also receive the contents of their CD package to take home with them, 2 weeks before general release. The T-shirts will be posted on the general release date of Friday, October 16th.
Please note that pre-order will close 2 weeks before general release to ensure that T-shirts can be printed and arrive in time for release day.
The album will NOT be available in its entirety on streaming sites upon release. Instead, each track from the album will be released as singles over an extended period. So, the only way to get the whole album on October 16th is to pre-order!
The band will also be debuting selected songs from the album live, at their first gig back on the circuit at the Camden Club, in the afternoon of Sunday Oct 25th. Tickets available now through the band’s social media pages.
So, here’s to 33 years of IT, 32 years of the original Stranger album!
Peace, IT.
FOR PRESS CONTACT: info@itband.tv
BAND WEBSITE: www.itband.tv
LABEL WEBSITE: www.progressivegears.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/itofficialband
BANDCAMP: itofficial.bandcamp.com
The hospitality and crew there were the best I’ve ever experienced in all the years I’ve been playing live music. Arie Verstegen and his staff know how to do it right!
The lineups, the organization, the food and drink were all incredible. Above all, the crowd, people from all over were one of the best audiences we’ve ever had. Serious music listeners! From myself and the band, we’d like to thank you all for such an incredible experience. You are a shining example to the world on how it should be done.
