Manics Street Preachers have shown their affection for Tenby by using an image from the South Beach looking out to Caldey Island for their up and coming album.

The cover of the Welsh band’s new album The Ultra Vivid Lament which will be released on September 3 seemingly features an image of bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire standing on the shores of the South Beach, a place he holds close to his heart, where he has owned a flat for the past 15 years.

Nicky was on hand to open his first ever exhibition - ‘Paintings and Polaroids’ - at Tenby Museum and Art Gallery back in September of 2018, where he also welcomed his bandmate James Dean Bradfield to open the event with a couple of well known ditties.

The exhibition showcased Nicky’s work and love of the Polaroid camera, which he took out with him on the road when the band first started performing and touring in the early 90s.

Nicky has called Tenby a “very special place with such a rich artistic history” and has spoken about his love for the town numerous times over the years and its influence on his songwriting at times.

“I think Tenby is unique, and I’ve been to loads of seaside towns. It’s kind of self-contained, still working - you can go to an art gallery, have a great cappuccino, an amazing bag of chips, and just wander around on the beach,” he remarked.

“Having a place down here has been more than inspirational - it has inspired a lot of my lyrics, especially ‘Postcard from a Young Man’ - that album in particular.

“I remember my first trip to Tenby vividly when I was about seven to ten - the shops were still open at night, and we had a fantastic bag of chips and played cricket on the beach!

“The first thing that hits you is the harbour itself - it is truly picturesque. You have South Beach, North Beach, the view to Caldey - the town itself incased by the original Castle walls - a fantastic Georgian terrace, all the blue plaques for Augustus John, Gwen John, Nina Hamnett, Beatrix Potter, and the museum itself - everything a man could need!

“For me it’s just the stillness of it - the minute I get down here, everything just slows down.

“It’s a very historical and artistic town, and makes me a bit of a better person when I’m down here,” he added.

The first taster of the new Manics album, which was recorded at the legendary Rockfield studios as well as their own Door to the River HQ is the single ‘Orwellian’.

‘The Ultra Vivid Lament’ is described by the band as “a record that gazes in isolation across a cluttered room, fogged by often painful memories, to focus on an open window framing a gleaming vista of land melting into sea and endless sky”.