Still Curious After Almost 60 Years
Adam Kennedy speaks with Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull about the band’s new album and impending UK tour.
Jethro Tull – one of the most unique and groundbreaking progressive rock bands of all time – will be performing across the UK from April 2026, with 19 concerts of music from much of their 24-album catalogue, starting with 1968’s ‘This Was’ through to their acclaimed ‘Curious Ruminant’ released earlier this year.
Reflecting on the year so far, Ian Anderson said, “Relatively speaking, it is a slightly quieter year in terms of touring. And we had a new album released in March. So, really, from February to May was a lot of promotion and various trips abroad to do promotions with local media, as well as some concerts. And we’re now into the summer concerts.”
Jethro Tull’s latest offering comes from a personal place. “I started off by wanting to make an album that was a little more introspective than usual, because I’m, by tradition, more of an objective writer. I tend to write about people and places, not to dwell on my own feelings or reactions, but rather in a more objective manner. But on this occasion, I thought, well, I will offer up a little more personal insight. And so, the title track Curious Ruminant, that’s exactly what it’s about,” explains Ian.
Curious Ruminant is Jethro Tull’s incredible 24th album. With a career dating back to the 60s and a back catalogue that is unparalleled, how difficult is it to pick a setlist for their concerts? “Well, the thing about doing a concert is that, although the set list will change, roughly speaking, every year, there’ll be changes to the set list. And there are maybe two or three pieces of music that are always in the set list. Everything else is a movable feast, and they come and go,” explains Ian. “So, there are some pieces that are almost hardly ever been played. And then there are other pieces that are played intermittently, every three or four or five years, they crop up in the set list again. So, there are songs that we know work well on stage, and they are what I would describe as the heavy hitters, the ones that we know, we like, and the audience will like, and they are effective within a concert set in terms of the dynamics. But you’re also having to consider things like what key is it in? And what key is the song before and the song after it, because you don’t want them all to be in the same key, or the same tempo, or to have the same general structure, or to be on the same lyrical topic. So, it’s all about trying to make light and shade. And with that in mind, it’s also good if you can include songs that give an idea of the big picture. So right at the moment, we play three songs from the first album. And then some music dotted around from the second album, from the fourth album, fifth album, into the latter part of the 70s and into the 80s.”
Ian continues: “We play four songs that have come from albums in the last four years, just to bring things up to date. But in some ways, those songs perhaps don’t sound particularly radically different from things that we might have been playing 50 years ago. Because it’s about having a certain style, a certain direction, a certain liking, really, for music that embodies in quite an eclectic way, elements of classical music, folk music, sprinkled with sometimes a little syncopation, a little jazzy feel, or whatever. But it is about trying to create the big picture of Jethro Tull’s music. And it’s not difficult to do, because there’s so much to choose from. And necessarily, you have to leave 90% of it out, because you can’t fit it all into a single concert.”
Heading into the final stages of 2025, how does the rest of the year look for Jethro Tull? “All the tour dates are in there. It’s unlikely there’ll be any added between now and then,” he says. “There’s nothing this year outside of what you would technically call Europe because I fear that my days of long-haul travel are probably over. Just the thought of getting on a plane for eight hours or 12 hours to go to the USA or to go to Canada or to go to Australia, New Zealand, Japan … and promoters are still giving offers to go and do tours. But as soon as I start thinking about the logistics of it all, plus the tedium of getting visas and dealing with all the taxation issues, I have better things to do with my time. So, popping over to Europe, whether by plane or on the train, is a relatively low impact.”
Ian concludes: “Being away from home for three nights is okay. Because that means I get four nights sleeping in my own bed, hopefully, before I go again. And so, Europe offers a lot of prospects.”
Jethro Tull will tour the UK during April and May 2026. For ticket information and further details, please visit: www.JethroTull.com.
Words by Adam Kennedy
Photo Credit: Press Provided
