Rising out of the Black Country Lydons share the fizzing second single, ‘Charley’ — a driving, evocative follow-up to their raucous debut ‘TONGUE’, which landed earlier this year.
Built around an infectious guitar led back drop, the track quickly introduces its anthemic chorus before moving to an evocative spoken word verse. Released via Magic Garden Recordings (a label partnership between Warner Music Group, Magic Garden Studios, and Revolver Records) the track was produced by platinum-selling producer Gavin Monaghan (Editors, The Twang, Robert Plant) and collaborator Liam Radburn, capturing both a raw sense of grit but also a radio radio immediacy. The result is a modern cut that wears its rock ’n’ roll influences proudly while staying grounded in the steely spirit of the Black Country.
Thematically, the single is a tribute to growing up and the fleeting magic of childhood. Speaking on the release, the band explained:
“‘Charley’ is a love letter to our childhood. The long summer days when nothing mattered except the moment. It’s about growing up in the Black Country, kicking a ball around until the sun went down, and holding on to the magic that shaped us. We wrote it to honour the people and places that made us who we are: family, friends, and the raw beauty of ordinary moments. There’s joy in it, but also a sadness that those days can’t come back. The chorus hook, ‘Charlie please’, is us calling out to a time when things felt simple and full of light. It’s nostalgic, but not stuck in the past, and it’s about carrying that feeling with us to help find strength in remembering where we started.”
With early radio support from Radio X, Lydons are stepping into 2025 with momentum on their side.The new single ‘Charley’ is another great example of the bands potential.
