We are very pleased to premiere the new track ‘There Goes Hollywood’ from indie rocker Iain T. McKelvey, who, in the interests of change and brevity, has shorn the Midnight Tangoes as an appendage to his name but keeps the same jangling rock’n’roll sound and swagger (with the old band members still contributing). McKelvey says of the change:
This really is a statement to myself to smarten up. Something hadn’t felt right for a while. The path I was on felt fake, it was certainly unhealthy and I could feel the love fading away. But I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like this. I think it’s more common than we care to admit, not just within music. So I guess I wrote an anthem.
The new track is indeed an anthemic delight – a sweeping cinematic single with a soaring melodic chorus and jangling guitars, creating an euphoric rush and a head spin. McKelvey says:
I imagined if Hollywood was a person who was stuck on this debaucherous path, stretched out and warped. Look at them, there goes what once was beautiful. Bleak I know, but it doesn’t mean it can’t come with a redemption arc and a belting chorus.
There is a solid driving force to the delivery raw and authentic with the sweet melodies tempered with a touch of melancholia. It was recorded by Steve Schouten (Peel, Misty Lanes), mixed by Wade Keighran and features some stunning harmonies by Caitlin Harnett & Jaimee from Dead Witch.
The track comes with a video shot and produced by Joel Ludemann that is part performance and part story-telling. According to McKelvey, it is:
…a stark and dark look at the cost that comes from pushing for an image or lifestyle that is far from sustainable. It touches on the mental strain experienced by artists but also our obsession with bright lights and cult of celebrity.
McKelvey’s performance solidifies his swagger and attitude and his enigmatic presence – his vocal delivery with all the power and presence of his near namesake Ian Astbury from The Cult:
This is pulse quickening stuff from the Sydney-based artist. ‘There Goes Hollywood’ is out on 16 April 2024 and will be available to download and stream via all the usual sites here.
Feature Photograph: Thea Elder (@theaeldercreative)
