Block of Flats is releasing “What’s Your Excuse?”, a new single created together with Blind Channel’s Alex Mattson and Niko Moilanen. The collaboration ties together the band’s next album chapter with their stage plans: Block of Flats will join Blind Channel as special guests on the Painstream tour through continental Europe and the United Kingdom from February 9 to March 8, 2027.
Block of Flats combines alternative rock and metal and describes the single as a conscious attempt to leave behind familiar conventions without abandoning the genres’ foundations. The explicit ambition is not to leave heavy music behind, but to find a fresher way to work within it. The difference thus lies mainly in how the band approaches their sound, rather than a complete identity change.
Mattson and Moilanen also participated on the band’s previous single, “I Stand Below It All”, making the new song a continuation of an established creative partnership. Jonas Olsson and Rami Nykänen are also involved in the production. The band describes working with the Blind Channel duo as natural, while also emphasizing that Olsson and Nykänen bring their own strengths to the recording.
The song’s central theme is equally direct. According to the band, “What’s Your Excuse?” is about the moment when excuses must give way in order to actually try to achieve what you want. They describe the song as a call to action, with a message directed as much at themselves as at the listeners. The music video is made by Aleksi Hakala from Hakalight.
The upcoming Painstream shows extend a period of international touring for Block of Flats. During 2025 they toured Europe with The Rasmus and American band The Funeral Portrait. The band sees the tour with Blind Channel as a logical next step, not least because Central Europe is an important market for them. The tour itinerary combines a broad stretch across the continent with six UK shows before returning to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The touring collaboration also reflects an established connection between the bands outside the studio. According to Block of Flats, both groups’ music has moved in a heavier direction, and they are preparing a darker and heavier live performance for the tour. The creative connection thus extends across songwriting, production, and live shows, giving the tour a context beyond the bands simply sharing a bill.
Block of Flats also continues as a trio after bassist Kauri Koponen’s departure following nearly ten years together. The band describes the split as amicable. According to them, the responsibility in recent years has increasingly rested on the three remaining members, whose shared direction and commitment now provide a stable foundation for the smaller lineup. They do not intend to rush the recruitment of a fourth member, but remain open to applications.
Confirmed shows
The band’s announced Finnish dates frame the tour through continental Europe and the United Kingdom, with performances in Kouvola, Tampere, and Porvoo before departure and a show in Helsinki after.
- October 30, 2026 — House of Rock, Kouvola, Finland
- January 29, 2027 — Klubi, Tampere, Finland
- January 30, 2027 — Pensselitehdas, Porvoo, Finland
- March 12, 2027 — KULT, Helsinki, Finland
Blind Channel: Painstream Tour — special guests Block of Flats
- February 9, 2027 — Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
- February 10, 2027 — Columbia Theater, Berlin, Germany
- February 11, 2027 — Proxima, Warsaw, Poland
- February 12, 2027 — Klub Kwadrat, Kraków, Poland
- February 13, 2027 — Rock Café, Prague, Czech Republic
- February 14, 2027 — Felsenkeller, Leipzig, Germany
- February 16, 2027 — Backstage, Munich, Germany
- February 17, 2027 — Simm City, Vienna, Austria
- February 18, 2027 — Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy
- February 19, 2027 — Dynamo, Zurich, Switzerland
- February 20, 2027 — Im Wizemann, Stuttgart, Germany
- February 21, 2027 — Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
- February 23, 2027 — La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
- February 25, 2027 — Thekla, Bristol, United Kingdom
- February 26, 2027 — KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
- February 27, 2027 — Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- February 28, 2027 — The Garage, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- March 2, 2027 — Manchester Club Academy, Manchester, United Kingdom
- March 3, 2027 — The Underworld, London, United Kingdom
- March 5, 2027 — Kavka Zappa, Antwerp, Belgium
- March 6, 2027 — Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- March 7, 2027 — Zeche Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- March 8, 2027 — Live Music Hall, Cologne, Germany
