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The Rolling Stones have released a new single under the alias The Cockroaches, distributing an extremely limited number of vinyl records through select independent music stores around the world on Saturday and renewing speculation that the British rock band is preparing its 25th studio album.
The track, titled "Rough and Twisted," was sold in plain white sleeves with no mention of the Stones. No official statement accompanied the release.
The Times reported that the single would serve as a preview of an as-yet-untitled new album, the follow-up to 2023's "Hackney Diamonds."
In London, only one store received copies: Sounds of the Universe, located in the Soho neighborhood, in the same building where the Rolling Stones held their first rehearsals. The store received just 14 records to sell.
Owner of the store, Angela Scott, said the band's record label, Universal Music, contacted them the day before.
"They called us on Friday and told us that they had some records for us and could we sell them on Saturday," she said.
Scott said the staff was informed of the band's connection. "They told someone here maybe that it was the Rolling Stones and they're called the Cockroaches," she said, adding that the store's historic ties to the band appeared to be the reason it was selected. The label set a fixed price of $13.54 (£10.07) per copy.
News of the release spread quickly, drawing fans to Sounds of the Universe before the store's 10 a.m. opening. Scott noted that at least one fan arrived at 3 a.m. to secure a copy.
All 14 London copies sold out within minutes of opening. One buyer agreed to play the track in-store, allowing those still in the queue to hear it.
"All of the people who queued were able to hear it, and that was a moment for them. They loved it. They were all very happy," Scott recounted to AFP.
A sign reading "Cockroaches sold out" was later posted in the window as additional fans continued to arrive. Several copies subsequently appeared for sale on eBay, with at least one listed at a minimum bid of nearly $600.
The release was preceded by days of activity on a newly created Cockroaches Instagram page and website, as well as posters in London featuring a QR code.
The Rolling Stones have again partnered with producer Andrew Watt, who helmed "Hackney Diamonds." Watt offered little detail when speaking to Rolling Stone magazine last year. "I can say we did some recording together, but that's all I can say," he told the publication.
Music critic Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph described the new material as the band returning with a "pile-driving blues stomp."
Harry, 21, a fan working at a Rolling Stones clothing store in Soho, called the sound "very old school," adding, "It's a lot of really old blues-style playing. I definitely think fans will enjoy it."
The Cockroaches is an alias Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood have used previously for unannounced live performances.
The band's last studio album, "Hackney Diamonds," topped charts in more than a dozen countries upon its 2023 release.
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