Snow Patrol have released Kylie Minogue these alarms after holding the song back until her vocals were secured. Gary Lightbody wrote it with Minogue in mind, then waited after a 2024 recording without her left the track missing what the band wanted.
Gary Lightbody and Kylie Minogue
“As a huge Kylie fan I originally wrote ‘These Alarms’ with her in mind,” Lightbody said. “But when we finished the song we quickly realised something huge was missing from it.” He added: “We all knew it was Kylie’s voice that was the missing piece.”
Lightbody said: “Kylie recorded her wonderful voice on it and finally the song felt complete.” That turns the release into more than a late-arriving feature; it gives Snow Patrol a standalone single built around a collaboration they refused to rush.
The Forest Is The Path
Lightbody said the song had been intended for The Forest Is The Path, but the band kept it on hold rather than issue an unfinished version. In practice, that means the track now arrives with its own release identity instead of being folded into the album cycle that first inspired it.
Kylie Minogue said: “The story behind this song was irresistible… Hearing there was a demo called ‘Kylie’ that had been living in the Snow Patrol archives was a complete surprise, and, naturally, I was curious to hear it,” She added: “Gary is such a brilliant songwriter, so to be invited into the band’s world is a total honour.” The collaboration has also given the song a cleaner commercial launch: it now sits as a new Snow Patrol and Kylie Minogue release rather than a shelved album cut.
Crystal Palace Park July 3
Snow Patrol are set to play Crystal Palace Park on Friday July 3, and the band has already set the running order. Nieve Ella opens at 3pm BST, The Amazons follow at 4pm, Amy MacDonald plays at 5:15pm, and Editors start at 6:30pm before Snow Patrol come on at 8:20pm.
The limited-edition 7” physical vinyl is due to ship on August 21. For anyone tracking the rollout, that leaves the single with two clear touchpoints: the digital release now, and the physical edition landing later in the summer.
