"Direction of the Heart", stylized as "DIRECTION > of > the > HEART," is the nineteenth studio album by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released on 21 October 2022 by BMG. The band completed the recording of the album in Germany on 24 October 2020. On 14 June 2022, they announced its upcoming release, noting that most tracks were written and demoed in Sicily, where both Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill reside. Due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, they recorded the album at Hamburg's Chameleon Studios. According to the liner notes, Direction of the Heart features fewer musicians than any previous Simple Minds album, with Burchill handling guitars, most keyboards, bass guitars, and much of the drumming.
Kerr described the album as a response to the challenges of creating a feel-good "Electro-rock" record during difficult times, expressing surprise at how enjoyable the process turned out to be. The album's title comes not from a standard track but from "Direction of the Heart (Taormina 2022)," the first bonus track on the digital and deluxe editions. This track is a re-recorded version of an original song released as a B-side in 2018, which was associated with the lead single from their previous album, Walk Between Worlds.
