The release of Gang Of Youths’ recent single ‘the angel of 8th ave.’ felt like the launch of an entirely new band rather than a mere resurrection. And with a new sound of cinematic scale and pure emotional punch, both inspired by their experiences since relocating to London, that’s essentially what they are. Support for the track from Radio 1, Radio X, NME, DIY and Dork was followed by the announcement of an intimate UK tour, which is already sold-out.
The band’s accelerating momentum now continues as they today share the surprise new EP ‘total serene’. Their first body of work since their four-time ARIA Award winning second album ‘Go Farther In Lightness’, the EP is launched alongside their new single ‘unison’.
‘unison’ is a track that truly signposts Gang Of Youths’ future. It’s so intricately detailed, with a production that extends the core band sound with layers of everything from brass to banjo, programmed beats to samples of David Fanshawe’s influential documentation of indigenous Pacific music. At the same time, it feels so natural and uncluttered, an unlikely blend that allows it to soar to a moving crescendo.
‘unison’ unites the themes established by the EP’s other two songs. It’s a celebration of love’s salvation, but in the hands of Le’aupepe it’s more nuanced, touching upon how current circumstances are influenced by both our heritage and by sheer chance.
He says, “‘unison’ is a deeply important track for us that really signals where the music is headed on the new record. I conceived the song in Samoa, my ancestral homeland. Here we sample and introduce the work of David Fanshawe, who travelled to the Pacific Islands in the 1980s and recorded the most extensive library of indigenous Pacific music anywhere in the world.”
The song’s escalating drama and powerful crescendo also informs the official video for ‘unison’. Its first shot depicts Le’aupepe sat alone on a desolate beach. As he rises, he finds his bandmates unconscious and surrounded by an unexplained mess of musical instruments and furniture. The camera follows him as he steps away, and by the time he returns the band are in full-flight, with Le’aupepe’s force-of-nature performance and Tom Hobden’s leap from piano to violin commanding the viewer’s attention.
Tour dates:
AUGUST
12th – London, Lafayette (SOLD OUT)
28th – Bristol, Trinity
30th – London, All Points East
SEPTEMBER
1st – Brighton, Old Market Theatre
2nd – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms (SOLD OUT)
4th – Manchester, Neighbourhood Weekender
5th – Glasgow, SWG3 Warehouse (SOLD OUT)
