It's been a couple of years since Ibibio Sound Machine, the London dance-funk band led by the Nigerian-British singer Eno Williams, released their most recent album Pull The Rope. Today, the group returns with a hard-hitting, exuberant new single called "Return To Sender." It's not an Elvis cover.
According to a press release, "Return To Sender" is about a car accident in which Eno Williams felt the steering wheel jump out of her hand, as if by some supernatural force. Williams says, "Reflecting on this afterwards, it felt, from the perspective of traditional Nigerian thinking, to be a spiritual attack by unseen forces. The phrase 'return to sender' is a common response to such an event, invoking the rejection of any evil spirits that may have been looking to cause harm."
Despite that backstory, there's nothing grave or stressed-out about "Return To Sender." Instead, it's a big, exuberant workout, with drums and horns and synth-beeps all fully locked-in with one another. It's joyous music, the kind of thing that you might make if the world reminds you how precious and fleeting life can be. Below, check out "Return To Sender" and Ibibio Sound Machine's upcoming tour dates.
TOUR DATES:
7/22-27 - Donostia, Spain @ Jazzaldia 2026
7/30 - Eeklo, Belgium @ Helden In Het Park 2026
8/01 - Floreffe, Belgium @ ESPERANZAH! 2026
8/02 - Nutley, UK @ Good Vibrations Society 2006
9/05 - Santa Cruz De Tenerife, Spain @ Phe Festival 2006
10/02 - Bristol, UK @ Lantern Hall
10/03 - Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
10/07 - Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
10/09 - Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory
10/10 - Birkenhead, UK @ Future Yard
10/15 - Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
10/16 - Oxford, UK @ Cowley Workers Social Club
10/22 - Edinburgh, UK @ Liquid Rooms
10/24 - Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
10/25 - Whitby, UK @ Musicport Festival
10/20-21 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
11/25 - London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall