Icecream Hands achieved prominence in the nineties and early noughties with their vibrant brand of harmonious power pop, and we are extremely honoured to bring you a taste of new material in the form of the single ‘Back on the Road’. Having returned to the fray in 2020 after a 13 year hiatus, the band has also announced the release of a new album entitled ‘Giant Fox Pinapple Tree’ for 7 November 2025.
‘Back On The Road’ sparkles with a melancholy jingle jangle chime of guitars and indelible melodies as the band looks back in time with a deep poignancy, shining with glorious harmonies. There are elements of Teenage Fanclub with an antipodean flavour that threads its way through the delivery, augmented by a celestial luminescent chorus. The result is something that seems to incorporate the dusty outback and wide open skies of Australia with a misty-eyed emotion.
Songwriter Doulas Lee Robertson says of the track:
[Derek G] Smiley and I both have three daughters of a similar age, and he provided the inspiration for the theme. When we finally got the song into the studio, it came to life in a wonderful way… then back in my little studio, we added the vocal and guitar overdubs. Greg J. Walker did a fabulous job with the mix!
Charles Jenkins of the band adds:
From the opening notes, I was thrilled by its sound, its story, and the performances. To me, it moved with both strength and vulnerability, building toward the glorious chorus and flowing beautifully through each section.
The accompanying video by Derek G Smiley is bleached with the bright antipodean sunshine at the beginning and end and a hazy dusty tone as it follows the journey of a musician – contrasting the brightness with heady night time rain and abandoned joy with solitude:
It’s a bright spark of powerful pop. ‘Back On The Road’ is out tomorrow and can be downloaded via all the usual sites.
