We are extremely proud to bring you an exclusive early listen to the new single, enticingly entitled ‘What’s The Half-Life of Loving You?’, from one of our favourite bands, Melbourne’s Blackbirds F.C..
The track is another example of the band’s inherent ear for soaring melodies and jangling guitars with a slight alt. country inflexion. The bass pulses with a febrile vibrancy and the percussion drives the pace, with heavenly harmonies singing at the edges. It’s a thrilling journey that jingles and jangles with a yearning melancholia. It’s a little bit of Teenage Fanclub with traces in the mix evident of classic antipodean bands like Paul Kelly, The Hoodoo Gurus and The Go-Betweens.
In writing the track, Jeremy Gronow says he was inspired by some of his favourite break up songs – Beck’s ‘Lost Cause’, Colin Hay’s ‘Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You’ and Willie Nelson’s ‘Hello Walls’.
It’s a break-up song… a lonely guy grieves a lost relationship song. The protagonist is holed up in his dark flat as the traffic rushes by outside wondering how long he’s going to feel this way and trying to look forward to better days.
“To my ear it has a freshness and energy that I really like. The song came together really easily and the arrangement just fell into place. The band had only played it a handful of times before we recorded.
As a songwriter the biggest thrill is when the band have an instant response to a song and the ideas flow quickly. If they get inspired with a part easily then I think I’ve done well, I love it when the players get engaged with the song.
Gronow captures like an image in a photograph the anxieties and pain involved in a dying or dead relationship, measured in the slow passage of time and sense of heightened awareness:
What’s the half life of loving, you? Will I never get over you?
My tired heart is shrinking as headlights track across this darkened room
At the end of the day it’s an indelible pop song that sparkles with a razor sharp mix:
Back of the net: another winner for this dependably exciting band ahead of a new album.
‘What’s The Half-Life Of Loving You?’ is out on Friday, 22 November available to be downloaded and streamed via all the usual sites and the link above.
Blackbirds F.C. will be launching the single on 29 November – more details and tickets available here and below.
George Lane, St Kilda
Friday, November 29th
w/ Meghan Maike and band
