- 2022-10-26
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MUSIC
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Donate to support families affected by the crisis in Ukraine ➔ The Subways Releases New Song “Black Wax”
British alt-rock band The Subways, consisting of Billy Lunn (vocals/guitar), Charlotte Cooper (vocals/bass) and Camille Phillips (drums), will release their upcoming fifth studio album “Uncertain Joys” on January 13, 2023 via Alcopop! Records/Bodan Kuma.
It is their first album in eight years since the 2015 self-titled album.
From the album, the band has unveiled a new song “Black Wax” along with a music video.
The track was written by Billy Lunn, Charlotte Cooper, Josh Morgan, Billy Lunn, and Adrian Bushby.
The accompanying video was directed by Joe Gist, who filmed it at New Mills Art Theatre in New Mills, UK. Featuring the dancing talents of Erin Pollitt, who physicalised her interpretation of the mood established by the song.
Billy Lunn said, “I've always been in love with Art Deco, and I felt like BLACK WAX would be the perfect song in which to indulge this love. This comes twinned with the song's constant references to the history of music, and some of our favourite artists and performers of the twentieth century.”- He continued, “The song itself is about gratitude for music, particularly the process of setting a record player going and hearing the abundance of sound that follows from such a device. So much joy from such humble origins. Appreciation for the physical format of the vinyl record has increased dramatically these last few years, so it felt natural to include elements like the gramophone. Alongside this, Joe Gist and his team at Blink Vivid (who pitched, shot, and edited the video) felt it important to highlight the effect that music has on the body. In light of this, we all decided on a live performance video which also features a dancer, the astonishing Erin Pollitt, who physicalised her interpretation of the mood established by the song in the moment of playback. We were all so thrilled to bear witness on-set (and finally on the screen) what she had to express using her body.”
He added, “We also wanted to take the opportunity to dress up in costume from the Roaring 20s era. I'm personally not one for dressing up (in fact, I tend to strip off for live gigs), so it was quite thrilling to step back into the past with all the period-appropriate clothes and make-up, especially in the beautiful Art Deco setting of the New Mills Art Theatre in Yorkshire, which the production team did a brilliant job of seeking out and shooting. Ultimately, we're thrilled with the effect of the video, which is a celebration of music, and all it does for us.” -
Director Joe Gist said, “After first listening to the song it was clear to me that we had to create something that encapsulated the songs passion for the simple joy of listening to music. The challenge here was to create something fun and refreshing that fitted the energy of the track whilst having a classic 1920's aesthetic. Using a dance performance for this felt like a great way of blending the class of the 1920's against the rush that comes with the guitars and drums from the band. Blending the new and the old together is tricky and I think without the right team on board it can fall too far one way or another but I really feel proud of what we achieved and think the team deserves a medal for pulling everything together in the time frame!”
Photo by Debbie Ellis
Background photo by Lisa Voigt - source : Apple Music
