The band hasn’t said a thing. Their more hardcore stans deduced that there would very likely be because of some Swiftian level hinting at the comeback gig they did, and I believe some stuff showed up on Shazam earlier this year from their teasers.
They were also working on an album named The Paper Kingdom before breaking up in 2013, so they wouldn't necessarily be starting from scratch. Not that long before, they also said that if they were to stop being a band, they wouldn't return only as a nostalgia touring act, but would also release music again. It's all speculation, but I do think they were about to release... at least something in the build up of their postponed tour.
It has held on pretty well considering the campaign pretty much ended once the album was released and she was touring for those few weeks before everything shut down. Hard to believe it came out a year ago.
I really wish she pushed You Should Be Sad more. I’m ready for the next album and era, though. Has she hinted on the soundscape? Last I saw, she’s been promising fans more stuff from the Nightmare project, hasn’t she?
I think we already have those songs, they were just reworked for Manic. She mentioned wanting to do a rock album and that was about it. No indication if she's started working on anything.
Considering the tour, I feel like she did push You Should Be Sad pretty well. It was mainly radio that let her down there.
I had tickets to see her twice on the tour. While I think it'll ultimately get canceled (why it isn't already is ??) and that means I'll miss getting to hear some of my favorite songs off MANIC live, I'm not too upset about it
Honestly, I think it’s better this way, Manic came out a year ago. I think she should move on to whatever is next and work on new music.
Hopeless Fountain Kingdom is one of the albums featured in the Quirky Pop Rate: Sophomore, along with the second albums by PJ-favourite acts such as Marina & the Diamonds, Janelle Monáe and Lorde. Feel free to join!