Track: Aliens - Long Way To Run

Aliens demonstrate their collective power on new single ‘Long Way To Run’.

Aliens is a music/film collective that began to take form in 2016 on the back of troubling world events – terrorism, Trump and Brexit, to name a few. Composer and producer Iain Harvie (of Scots rockers Del Amitri) and filmmaker, songwriter and singer Tim May were soon joined by Helen Turner from Paul Weller & Style Council (keys), Martyn Barker from Shriekback (drums), The Bible’s Leroy Lendor (bass), and Tommy Sheen (guitar). In keeping with their response to the turbulent political times and escalating social issues, their last single ‘Desolation Angel’ – written with Jungle’s Fraser MacColl – was released in aid of Centrepoint, the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, and was chosen as BBC Radio Scotland’s record of the week.

‘Long Way To Run’ (watch them performing it live below) is the lead track from their appropriately titled forthcoming album Terradome and seems to reflect on a relationship on the rocks. “I’m a fool, fool for you” sings May as he acknowledges the suffering it’s causing him but then defiantly states that he’s going to stick with it.

The track builds slowly but is driven by a guitar riff that brings to mind Rolling Stones hooks. May’s vocal has the perfect blend of power and vulnerability, with more than a hint of Bowie about it, as he sings “I will go down fighting. I will lay it on the line, one last time”. The individual elements of ‘Long Way To Run’ are great, but the real strength in Aliens’ is, unsurprisingly, in the collective output. Harvie has now confined his Aliens duties to mixing and producing, while May and the band play live, but fans of Del Amitri will definitely be able to recognise his influence. It’s slick and catchy alt-rock with a summery pop twist that quickly becomes an earworm.

Aliens may not be heading for world domination but they are moving towards getting the wider recognition their combined talents deserve.