Eels announce sixteenth album, COOKIE HAPPENED

COOKIE HAPPENED follows Eels' 2024 album EELS TIME!, and sees singer E (Mark Oliver Everett) reflecting on victories, disappointments, and the nature of life's experiences. Lead single "Cap In Hand", out today, is told from the perspective of a narrator confronting their mistakes and figuring out how to make things right.

“I wanted to sound kind of worn out for this one too, like someone who’s messed up their life but now sees the error of their ways and is trying to make amends with their tail between their legs," E says of the single, which is described as a "bruised" track. "You know how record companies are: “We don’t care what you give us, just make sure you sound defeated on the first two tracks!”

COOKIE HAPPENED sees the band balancing that reflection with humour and optimism as the latest addition to their long-running catalogue. The album title was inspired by none other than the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster, as E explains, "All of this will be forgotten. Every joy, accomplishment and hardship will one day become so irrelevant it will be as if none of it occurred. But as the great philosopher of our times, Cookie Monster once said: 'Me no cry because cookie is finished. Me smile because cookie happened.' This will all be forgotten. But isn’t it still a beautiful thing that it happened?"

COOKIE HAPPENED artwork

COOKIE HAPPENED tracklist

"CLOBBERED"
"CAP IN HAND"
"ALL FORGOTTEN"
"BAMBOOZLED AGAIN"
"LOST AND BARKING"
"TAKING PICTURES"
"NEW STORY"
"CONGRATULATIONS TO ME"
"ONE RAZZLE, ONE DAZZLE"
"I'M ON STANDBY"
"DUM DUMS"
"THE WAY I WAS MADE"