Yeah Yeah Yeahs Unveil New Live Album and Short Film

Release Details and Format

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have officially released their new live collection, Hidden in Pieces Live at the Royal Albert Hall. A digital edition of the album, which features 13 songs recorded during the band’s 2025 Hidden in Pieces Tour, is available now. A physical version of the album is scheduled for release on Oct. 23 via Secretly Canadian. This physical release will arrive alongside a digital deluxe edition, both of which will include the original 13 tracks plus a handful of bonus recordings from various U.S. shows.

The album’s origins are tied to the political and social climate of the time it was recorded. Frontwoman Karen O explained the motivation behind the project in a statement:

“Hidden in Pieces Live at the Royal Albert Hall was born out of a need to commune with our band and fan family in 2025, after the election. In the past, YYYs haven’t often chosen when to be back at it and out there, it often chooses us. It, being the times. We turn to live music when we need that specific quality of depth and light to see us through the times.”

— Karen O

Creative Process and Instrumentation

The band prepared for the tour and recording during a brief session in February 2025 at Sonic Ranch in Texas. Working within what Karen O described as an "impossibly small window of time," the group collaborated with string arranger Jherek Bischoff to rework their material. Together, they arranged nearly 24 songs for a quartet and acoustic instrumentation in less than a week.

The performance at the Royal Albert Hall marked the third show of the tour and the band's first time playing the historic venue. Karen O noted that the experience was deeply spiritual for the members, specifically mentioning a "pipe organ moment" during the song "Skeletons" that she described as "immaculate vibrations." She further detailed the atmosphere of the night:

“We felt the spirits of all legends past swirling around us. Nick remarked that he felt as though his fingers were guided on the guitar neck. The real alchemy happened when we played the hall, it clicked into place. All the shows we performed on this small tour were extraordinarily vulnerable. We hope that translates.”

— Karen O

'Hidden in Pieces' Visual Companion

Accompanying the live album is a 22-minute visual companion piece also titled Hidden in Pieces. Directed by filmmaker Barnaby Clay, the black-and-white short film is currently streaming via the Criterion Channel. While the album focuses on the London performance, according to one report, the film itself was recorded at Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre. Clay discussed his artistic vision for the project:

“I wanted to create a film that not only captured the live performance but also felt close to the spirit of what the band was going for with their shows; something delicate and dream-like, like a precious memory, timeless, emotionally charged and shrouded in mystery.”

— Barnaby Clay

The performance and the film also serve as a tribute to the late director David Lynch. Karen O noted that Lynch passed away just one month before the band began this journey, and the performance opens with an ode to his legacy.

International Screenings and Double Features

In addition to streaming, the film will be screened at select venues across the U.K., Australia, Japan, Mexico, and the U.S. Tickets for these events went on sale Sept. 3. Several of these screenings are billed as "Hidden in Pieces Double Features," where the short film will be paired with a feature-length movie chosen by the band.

Screening Schedule:

• 9/21 – London, UK @ Rio Cinema Dalston (Double feature with Night of the Hunter)

• 9/21 – Melbourne, AUS @ The Lido (Double feature with Mulholland Drive)

• 9/21 – Sydney, AUS @ The Ritz (Double feature with Mulholland Drive)

• 9/22 – Mexico City, MX @ Cine Tonalá

• 9/23 – New York City, NY @ The Roxy (Double feature with Wings of Desire)

• 9/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Vidiots (Double feature with Eraserhead)

• 9/23 – Mexico City, MX @ Cine Tonalá

• 9/24 – Mexico City, MX @ Cine Tonalá

• 9/24 – Tokyo, JP @ Human Trust Cinema Yurakucho

Artist Background

Formed in 2000, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a prominent fixture in the Garage Rock and rock genres. The band’s most recent studio effort prior to this live release was the 2022 album Cool It Down. This new live project represents their first major release since that studio album and highlights a period of acoustic and orchestral experimentation for the trio.