We are honoured to premiere the new single ‘The Great Divide’ from Melbourne-based indie band Dumb Whales. It’s an absolute thumping track: chiming, razor-sharp guitars carve their way over a steady and thunderous rhythm section featuring a rousing anthemic chorus and fulsome melodies.
This is classic indie rock fashioned from sparkling guitars and celestial melodies.
The themes of the song reflect our troubled times but are presented in a energising, striking tone with the arching riffs and aching vocals:
Tune in, tune out, spoon fed, no doubt about it now, fake news, fake lies, fake fear, the great divide.
Phil Peers, singer and guitarist, says of the lyrics:
The lyrics were written by my brother Lee and I in early 2019. We had the instrumental recorded, but didn’t have words for it, so we rushed them out in about half an hour on the day of tracking vocals. They’re about the skewed perspective of reality that everyone has nowadays, thanks to social media.
There’s this presentation of perfection and the ideal lifestyle that’s so carefully curated, but doesn’t tell the whole story. It breeds resentment and feelings of anxiety. People don’t seem to be interested in discussion and debate, and understanding or respecting one another – it’s just about scoring points and coming out on top.
A prescient message.
The accompanying video is a very suave set of black and white clips from the sixties which perfectly match the jangling guitars and swinging vibe:
Fantatstic stuff.
The single is out on Monday, 9 November and you can pre-order here. The band is fronted by expat British brothers, Phil and Lee Peers on vocals and guitars with Amy Chapman on bass and vocals and Shannon Radic on drums. The British connection may indicate some genetic connection to the essentially Liverpudlian sound – think Cast or The Las. Irrespective of the influences, once you hear ‘The Great Divide’, you won’t be able to get it out of your head.
