Recorded at Abbey Road last autumn, Rainy Sunday Afternoon is The Divine Comedy's thirteenth album and their first studio album since 2019's UK top 5 Office Politics. The band's last release was 2022's Best Of compilation Charmed Life which also reached 5 in the UK album charts. The band’s Neil Hannon most recently wrote the original songs for the Warner Bros blockbuster Wonka. 

Neil says: “My musical output is, for better or worse, a representation of my personality. A good chunk of that personality revels in the rumbumptious; celebrates the silly. And I made ample use of that for the Wonka songs. I have though, like everyone, a darker, more melancholy side. And for one reason or another it has been much in evidence of late. I needed to use this album as an outlet for those feelings. To work through some stuff. Mortality; memories; relationships; political and social upheaval. Everyone should get to make an orchestral pop album once in a while. It should be available on the NHS.“

The band remastered and re-released their entire back catalogue in 2020. The campaign culminated in residencies in London and Paris in 2022 where they played ten albums live over 5 nights in each city. Deluxe editions of Rainy Sunday Afternoon will include the bonus live album Live in Paris and London - deep cuts and fan favourites taken from those landmark shows.