Copenhagen’s Poptones announce details of second album Pure and share single and music video for “Skin of Sea“
Poptones by Rune Gro-Nielsen.
Danish experimental rock trio Poptones today announce their second full-length album, Pure, arriving September 26th on Happy Metal Records. The news coincides with the release of the album’s first single, “Skin of Sea” – a clear departure in tone and scale, and a hint at the sonic and emotional terrain to come.
The track’s early concepts began to take shape during an improvisation session the band undertook in a house in Northern Jutland, best known as the place where former Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag passed away.
“The first idea for “Skin of Sea” came together quickly and intuitively, going from nothing to a finished sketch in just a few hours, which is far from our usual writing pace,” the band explains. “Maybe that’s why the track leans more on simplicity in chords and structure. Intuitive ideas often have a clear sense of direction, which was definitely the case with “Skin of Sea”. It was very inspiring to work with.”
“It was also our first dive into using instruments we hadn’t worked with before,” they continue. “Especially the outro pulled us toward a grander sound and opened up new ways of composing as Poptones.”
That sonic expansion introduced a new collaborator: “That dive introduced us to the vibraphone, slide guitar, and working with Oscar Alstrup on saxophone, who completely nailed an improvised solo for the outro. Since then, Oscar has played on almost all our songs and is now part of our live shows as well.”
Poptones are lifelong friends whose creative bond deepened at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Conservatory, an institution known for its progressive, genre-fluid ethos and its role in shaping a generation of singular Nordic artists.
The single is accompanied by a self-directed video, shot on a broken phone camera and slowed to 20% speed, evoking the track’s themes of drift and distortion. Blurred and submerged visuals reinforce the sense of emotional displacement that runs through both the song and the broader record.
Pure follows Poptones’ 2022 debut Between Darkness & Daylight, and will be available digitally and on vinyl September 26th via Happy Metal Records.
Watch the video here:
Pre-order / pre-save Pure HERE
Due for release on September 26th 2025, Pure is Poptones’ second full-length album, following 2022’s Between Darkness & Daylight. The new record was developed across several locations – Copenhagen, India, Italy, and the aforementioned final resting place of Danish Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag – and blends solo-composed sketches with collaborative improvisations. The result is a 12-track album that moves between prog, hardcore, indie, and avant-rock, featuring both standard and non-traditional instrumentation.
The album includes contributions from hardcore vocalist Victor Kaas (EYES, LLNN) on “Mirror World”, as well as guest musicians Rémy Gouffault (vibraphone) and Harald Ingvarsson (guitar) on the fully improvised tracks “Asleep” and “Eyes Closed”. The record was recorded with Peter Emil Sloth, mixed by Jens Ramon, and mastered by E.T. Master.
Poptones – Mads Bertelsen (vocals/bass), Simon Hiemstra (guitar), and Anders Poulsen (drums) – began making music together as teenagers in Denmark’s rural west coast. While the sound has evolved, their longstanding relationship remains central to their creative process.
Their time at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) also played a significant role in refining their approach. Known for its emphasis on exploratory composition and peer-led critique, RMC has produced a wide network of artists pushing the boundaries of contemporary music. The band’s shared experience at the Conservatory deepened their collaborative instincts and broadened their compositional vocabulary.
“Poptones is about building together, growing apart, and finding each other in a new and different light,” the band share. “Through childhood, teenage years, and now adulthood, we’ve lived together, made music together, and shaped each other as artists and people.”
Pure album artwork by Marikka Højen