The Hives Unleash “Paint a Picture” Video & Single

18 June 2025 rocknews

The Hives Paint a Picture — And It’s Loud, Lurid, and Lethally Catchy

Swedish garage rock royalty The Hives have returned with a technicolour detonation of a single, “Paint a Picture,” released on June 17, 2025, and it’s every bit as riotous, ridiculous, and resplendent as fans could hope for. The track is the latest teaser from their upcoming seventh studio album, The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, due to drop on August 29 via Play It Again Sam — and if this single is anything to go by, the album promises to be a full-throttle, arena-sized spectacle.

“Paint a Picture” is a three-minute manifesto of outsider defiance, with frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist delivering his lines like a preacher at a punk rock sermon. The band describes the song as “about trying to convince people and yourself that living outside of society is a good idea” — and it’s hard not to believe them when the chorus hits like a Molotov cocktail lobbed into a gallery opening.

But it’s the video that truly elevates this release into the realm of rock ‘n’ roll art. Directed by longtime collaborators Filip Nilsson and Henry Moore Selder, the clip is a pop-art explosion — think Roy Lichtenstein meets The Mighty Boosh in a blender of neon ink and comic book chaos. The band are transformed into living, breathing brushstrokes, strutting through a world of halftone dots, bold lines, and surrealist flair. And for the eagle-eyed: yes, that is the band’s infamous ninja stage crew making a stealthy cameo in the background. Blink and you’ll miss them — which is, of course, the point.

Formed in Fagersta, Sweden in 1993, The Hives have spent over three decades perfecting their brand of high-octane, tuxedo-clad chaos. They exploded onto the global stage in the early 2000s with the now-iconic “Hate to Say I Told You So,” and have since built a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts on the planet. Their discography reads like a garage rock bible: Veni Vidi Vicious, Tyrannosaurus Hives, Lex Hives, and most recently, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons — each one a testament to their refusal to mellow with age.

With “Paint a Picture,” The Hives aren’t just back — they’re bigger, brasher, and bolder than ever. It’s a single that doesn’t just demand attention; it kicks down the door, flips your easel, and spray-paints its name across your living room wall.

So grab your monocle, straighten your bowtie, and prepare to be dazzled. The Hives have painted their picture — and it’s a masterpiece of mayhem.