Following up on their earlier visceral single ‘Bloom Baby Bloom’ (see my review here), Wolf Alice put on display their versatility with the more restrained but just as anthemic single ‘The Sofa’, which sweeps majestically along on a bed of strings with singer Ellie Rowsell’s vocals soft and yearning as she sings of acceptance:
Didn’t make it out to California
Where I thought I might clean the slate
Feels a little like I’m stuck in Seven Sisters
North London, oh England
And maybe that’s ok
Rowsell says of the themes:
It’s about not trying so hard to figure everything out, reflecting on getting older and trying not to agonise over things that have or haven’t happened in your life. It’s also about trying to get to grips with the polarising aspects of one’s life when you’re in a band. You’ve just played a huge tour – and you come home, and you have your dinner on the sofa. For me, it’s summed up in how I treat TV. I used to never watch the same thing twice because I thought I’ve got so much to discover! And now I’m like, It’s okay if I just want to rewatch Peep Show for the thirteenth time.
The result is something poignant and cinematic, threaded through with an element of melancholy, and yet there is a resilience at the heart.
Shot on the streets of the band’s native North London in homage to the lyrics, the video for ‘The Sofa’ captures the day-dreamy spirit of the song in boldly-coloured slow motion. Ellie is transported on a surreal fantasy through the euphoric messiness of British summertime street life while never leaving the comfort of her sofa. Inspired by classic street photography, these vignettes capture the blissed-out interactions of people from all walks of life, celebrating the shared joy we feel with strangers on a sunny day. The video was directed by Fiona Jane Burgess (Christina Aguilera, girlinred, Gucci) and features numerous easter eggs for the band’s upcoming album.
You can stream the single and pre-order the new album ‘The Clearing’ here. ‘The Clearing’ is out on Friday, 22 August via Mushroom Music.
Feature Photograph: Rachel Fleminger Hudson
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