The album title and cover reference Count Basie’s 1958 Atomic Mr. Basie, drawing parallels between the raw power of Basie’s band and the urgent sound of Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band today. While Basie’s record celebrated technical prowess and American dominance in the atomic age, The New Atomic reinterprets that imagery to reflect contemporary tensions: the ways in which power and wealth are hoarded, and the societal forces that limit freedom rather than protect it. A portion of the album’s profits will go to War Child, supporting children affected by conflict worldwide.

Musically, The New Atomic is a big band on a rollercoaster through jazz, noise, and pop culture chaos. Ellington and Sun Ra meet Godzilla, Japanese monster movies, early Bluegrass field recordings, Harmelodics, old samplers, Sunn O amps, and Boredoms – all delivered with a palpable sense of community and joy. From Fergus Quill and Sam Eastmond’s soaring ‘J Surfing on Saturn’ to pianist Nico Widdowson’s free-time romp on the title track, the album jumps between raw swing, anarchic textures, and joyous absurdity, proving big band music can still bite, roar, and make you laugh.

Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band grew from a nine-piece Sun Ra tribute in Leeds into a veritable institution of northern UK jazz, drawing members from groups including Awen Ensemble, Ancient Infinity Orchestra, Plantfood, and KOG. Their 2023 eponymous debut, 2024 release Live at Lancaster Jazz Festival and 2025 national tour included performances at Ronnie Scott’s, The Vortex, Howard Assembly Rooms, and major UK festivals. Celebrated for championing risk, immediacy, and individuality, the ensemble won the 2023 Peter Whittingham Jazz Award and were nominated for the 2025 Jazz FM Innovation Award, cementing their place at the forefront of UK big band music.

With The New Atomic, Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band delivers a record that is both reverent and confrontational: a big band that refuses to be a relic, mixing tradition, experimentation, and pointed social commentary into music that is unapologetically alive.