Sultan + Shepard Return With ‘Forever, Now’

Sultan + Shepard are pleased to present their new studio album, Forever, Now, available to stream today from Lane 8’s This Never Happened imprint.

The Sultan + Shepard duo will be hitting the road in support of Forever, Now. The 20+ date North American tour kicks off this weekend (February 17) in Dallas and winds through cities including San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, Denver, Montreal, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Seattle, New York City, Washington, DC, and Las Vegas, among others.

Sultan + Shepard explained how Forever, Now came to be

“When we began working on ‘Forever, Now,’ the world had started to open up from the pandemic, we had begun touring again, and it felt like the great thawing of pent-up feelings and emotions were being released from us, and also all over the world. Some of these feelings were beautiful and emotional, others darker and messier. Most of this album was written during breaks between shows when we’re back in our studio but we still had this sense of energy moving, flowing, and being allowed to trickle into new places with new feelings. 

Not surprisingly, a lot of the music leaned towards more joyful energy, bursting with positive emotions while most of the lyrics and vocals we had recorded with our collaborators were asking deeper questions about longing, separation, and time passing. It was a time of growth and positivity amidst general change and often chaos for the world but also for us personally.

The concept of “Forever, Now” grew out of this familiar feeling of being grounded in a place of creativity despite being in new places sonically or physically. We realized that wherever we went, there we were. Things were always moving and changing, as we ourselves were too. But through the act of being sincere in expressing our emotions, a sense of being in just the right place or hitting just the right note would often arise.”

Sultan + Shepard describing how the new album, Forever, Now, came into being.

Popularity ascension of Sultan + Shepard over the years

After a chance meeting at an after-hours club in Montreal in 2002, Ossama Al Sarraf and Ned Shepard quickly discovered they had a natural musical chemistry. They began collaborating on original songs and remixes, signing their first song to John Digweed’s Bedrock label. From collaborations with revered EDM artists such as Dillon Francis and Tiësto to remixes for major pop acts like Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, and Madonna, the duo established themselves as one of dance music’s leading partnerships.

The next decade saw them tour around the world including stops at major festivals such as Tomorrowland, Ultra, and EDC. During this time they were recognized by their peers for major accolades including a Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording for their remix of Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven”; the SOCAN Music award for International Song of the Year for “Bad” (the multi-platinum single which they co-wrote and produced alongside David Guetta); and two Juno Award nominations for Best Dance Recording.

Returning to melodic house and progressive roots

Most recently the duo have returned to their melodic house and progressive roots, signing with Lane 8 and his label This Never Happened and launching a radio show Dialekt Radio. They have released multiple singles and EPs, collaborating with Jon Hopkins Angela McCluskey, Shallou, Le Youth, and others. In 2021 they released their second album “Something, Everything” to critical acclaim. Their new album “Forever, Now” is available now on This Never Happened. (Click ‘Play’ on the Spotify link above or click on the link to download/stream).

‘Forever, Now’ tour dates

February 17 – Dallas, TX – It’ll Do

February 18 – Austin, TX – The Concourse Project

February 25 – San Francisco, CA – Audio – SOLD OUT

March 3 – Chicago, IL – Soundbar

March 4 – Toronto, ON – NOIR – SOLD OUT

March 9 – Salt Lake City, UT – Sky

March 10 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre – SOLD OUT 

March 11 – Tempe, AZ – Sunbar

March 24 – Montreal, QC – New City Gas

March 25 – Atlanta, GA District

March 31 – Los Angeles, CA – Academy

April 8 – Houston, TX – Bauhaus

April 13 – Seattle, WA – Q Nightclub

April 15 – Portland, OR – 45 East

April 28 – Charleston, SC – Trio

April 29 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere

May 5 – Washington, DC – Soundcheck

May 6 – Miami, FL – Lost Nightclub