The Vaccines have returned with their sixth studio album, Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations. The album's title is inspired by a misremembered lyric from Don McClean's "American Pie," a song that, for the band's Justin Young, resonates with the themes of lost innocence and the American Dream. Young, having moved to Los Angeles, a city that has always fascinated the band, grappled with the disillusionment that arises when expectations, dreams, and reality diverge. Despite being an album about coming to terms with loss, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations also expresses gratitude for cherished people and places of the past.

Young explains the significance of pink carnations, stating, "Pink carnations symbolize gratitude and convey that a person will never be forgotten." Whether dealing with the loss of a lover, a friend, or even a dream, the album serves as a reminder that these aspects will endure in the mind's capacity. It encourages the listener to keep dreaming.

The Vaccines - Young (lead vocals, guitars), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys, vocals), and Yoann Intonti (drums), worked with producer Andrew Wells (Halsey, Phoebe Bridgers) to help find the sound they were after. It was mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, Flaming Lips).

With an impressive track record of five UK Top 5 albums, including a No. 1 with 2012's Come of Age, and a considerable fanbase thanks in part to arena-filling headline shows and memorable performances at festivals like Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds, the Vaccines continue to hold a pivotal position in the realm of British rock.