The Rolling Stones Are Dropping a Secret Single as 'the Cockroaches'

Guerrilla posters have been popping up around Camden Town in north London advertising a band nobody's heard of called the Cockroaches, promising a vinyl-only white label single called "Rough And Twisted" dropping Saturday. There's just one problem — the Cockroaches don't exist. The Times of London blew the cover: it's the Rolling Stones.

The stunt is textbook rock-and-roll misdirection, and it's working. A dedicated website is already live where fans can sign up for updates and cop a T-shirt that reads "WHO THE FUCK ARE THE COCKROACHES?" — which, honestly, might be the best band merch of 2025.

The single is the first taste of what's reportedly the Stones' 25th studio album, expected to land in July 2026. It would be the follow-up to 2023's Hackney Diamonds, their first collection of original material in nearly two decades and their first without the late Charlie Watts, who passed in 2021. Andrew Watt, who produced Hackney Diamonds and recently helmed the new Paul McCartney record, is back behind the boards.

What's wild is the sheer volume of material the band apparently has in the vault. Beyond the upcoming LP, the Stones reportedly have 10 additional songs ready to go — enough for a potential 26th album. For a group that went 18 years between original records, that's a remarkable creative streak.

“Andrew Watt, who produced Hackney Diamonds and recently helmed the new Paul McCartney record, is back behind the boards.”

Don't expect to hear any of it live, though. Plans for a 2026 tour were scrapped late last year because Keith Richards, now 82, felt he couldn't commit to the road. As Stereogum reported, "The Rolling Stones will play when they decide to, not before. There are no concerts planned." It's a notable shift for a band that's been synonymous with massive global touring for six decades, but it also signals that Jagger and Richards are prioritizing the studio over the stage — at least for now.

The Camden campaign is a smart play. It generates organic buzz, nods to the Stones' deep London roots, and gives fans something tactile in an era of algorithm-driven rollouts. A vinyl-only white label? That's not a streaming strategy. That's a statement.

Keep an eye on Saturday for "Rough And Twisted" — and on July 2026 for what could be one of the year's biggest rock releases.