Dry Cleaning is building serious anticipation with I Need You, track ten on their third album Secret Love, set to drop January 9, 2026, via 4AD, and it’s positioned as one of those quiet, pivotal moments that could define the whole record.
Produced by Cate Le Bon—who they chose after sessions in Chicago with Jeff Tweedy and Dublin with Gilla Band members—this feels like the payoff from a band that’s been honing their chemistry in rooms from Peckham to the Loire Valley. The album started as four friends writing and playing together, letting music and lyrics grow inseparably, and Le Bon’s touch brings that positive, open energy they needed to push things further. Expect Dry Cleaning’s trademark post-punk edge—spoken-word delivery from Florence Shaw that’s equal parts absurd and sharp, tangled with angular guitars, driving bass, and rhythms that shift from tense to loose.
The tracklist runs 11 songs, opening with the catchy “Hit My Head All Day” (about body and mind manipulation), through surreal titles like “Secret Love (Concealed in a Drawing of a Boy)” and “Evil Evil Idiot,” landing on closer “Joy.” I Need You sits toward the end, so it might carry that late-album weight—maybe a slower burn or a reflective turn amid the chaos.
They’ve teased the album with singles like “Hit My Head All Day” in September, “Cruise Ship Designer” in November, and “Let Me Grow and You’ll See the Fruit” in December, each with videos that lean into choreography and visuals to match Shaw’s vivid, everyday-surreal lyrics. Pre-order or pre-save on Spotify or Bandcamp now to get instant tracks and updates—some formats include early downloads, and limited vinyl colors are moving fast. The rollout’s been steady, with a big headline at O2 Brixton Academy in April 2026 already announced, plus festival spots to kick off the new year.
This comes after Stumpwork in 2022 earned them a Grammy nod for packaging and built on New Long Leg’s breakout. Dry Cleaning’s always been about that unique four-piece alchemy—Shaw’s deadpan poetry over Tom Dowse’s guitar, Nick Buxton’s drums, and Lewis Maynard’s bass—and Secret Love sounds like them trusting it completely now, evolving without losing the raw spark that made them stand out.
Dive into the I Need You lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other Secret Love tracks for more of Dry Cleaning’s singular tension.
| Lead Vocals | Florence Shaw |
| Songwriter | Florence Shaw, Lewis Maynard, Nick Buxton & Tom Dowse |
| Music Producer | Cate Le Bon |
| Label | 4AD |
| Release Date | January 9, 2026 |
| Song Language | English |
| Copyright © | 4AD |
| Phonographic Copyright ℗ | 4AD |
Lyrics of I Need You by Dry Cleaning
Why Does It Need To Be Over And Over
And Without End Or Change
And Repeating Over And Over?
You
You’re The One That I Need
You Will Make It All Better
I Need Ya
The Bit In The Apprentice
Where They’re Waiting For The Phone Call
In The Waiting Room Outside
And The Finger Coming Down
You
Just Pains
A Week And A Day
I’m Waiting Inside A Talcum Powder Box
For You To Lift The Lid And Discover Me
And Lift Me Gently Into Your Palm
I Need Ya
My Dream House Is Negative Space Of Rock
The Undoing Of The Black Mat
I Was Born From Out The Black Mat
Jewellery For You
Prices
These Sisters Waiting To Wear Their Own Clothes
Waiting
And Me
Pelican Dreams
I Need Ya
So Honestly And Uniquely
Getting Straight To The Listener’s Heart
Fuck The World
Shadows
Fuck The World
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