We are very honoured to premiere the video and track for the epic, anthemic track ‘Settlers’ from Melbourne-based Scotsman Quinny (the nom de plume of Peter Quinn). With an instrumentation and delivery that fantastically mixes a Sigur Rós majesty and grace with a raw Belle & Sebastian veracity, ‘Settlers is as wild and expansive as the Scottish Highlands with the same breathtaking beauty and stature.
Written in rural Maine in America during 2022 alongside friends Marie Collins (The Vegan Leather) and Hannah Daman, ‘Settlers’ was given its finishing touches courtesy of Graham McCusker, a composer for BBC’s His Dark Materials and lead artist in Glasgow/Manchester bands KAZE and Marouli. Recorded in Scotland with Robin Evans (Dodgy & The View), ‘Settlers’ has a delicate whimsy that is beefed up by the rousing chorus and a spectacular drive that leaves you feeling like you have been happily defenestrated in a gale force wind. Quinny says of the track:
This song is about confronting those you rely on most when they have let you down. There’s a sort of stadium-folk feel to it. I wanted to have big chords, but also some delicate verses. If you listen to the piano, you’ll hear a bit of Sigur Rós influence, and I like to think I go a bit Billy Corgan at the end too.
This is the finest pop – with the kind of indelible melodies that superglue themselves inside your head.
The track comes with an hilarious video with director and filmmaker Conor Reilly working alongside Quinny and the clip’s actors Martin Quinn and Stephan Buchanan to bring the Settlers creative vision to life, along with some stunning landscape visuals shot in Quinny’s home country.
The video is about anxiety. It features a young man going about his daily business, constantly being interrupted by someone else – a manifestation of his woes. He tries to just ignore it, until finally starting to take some action and getting out and about in the Scottish Highlands. Because of the nature of the sound, I thought some wide shots of Scottish mountains would be quite fitting, and it’s worked really
well. Martin and I workshopped the concept and story with a few people before landing where it did. After a point, I left Martin to it as he was on a roll! Originally, the video was set to a different song from the album, No Place to Die, but after a few edits, it was clear Settlers was the right choice.
It’s a gentle treatment of the ever attendant anxieties that dog our lives and intrude at the most inappropriate times, with a guide to how to confront and deal with them.
‘Settlers’ is out tomorrow (Thursday, 11 July 2024) and is available to pre-save here. It comes off Quinny’s debut album ‘Outer Monologue’ due out later this year.
Featuring Quinny himself, aka Peter Quinn, on vocals, guitar and bass, ‘Settlers’ also incorporates Graham McCusker on piano and vocals, Martin Tormey on drums and vocals, Marie Collins on vocals, Hannah Daman on vocals, Martin Quinn on vocals, and additional production by Nathan Cable.
You can catch Quinny live next week launching the single – details as follows:
Thursday, 18 July | Fitzroy Pinnacle, Fitzroy North, Vicoria – tickets available here.
Feature Photograph: C J Monk
