Today, Leeds-based five-piece Treeboy & Arc share the latest single from their upcoming debut album, Natural Habitat, available July 7th, arriving in the form of Behind The Curtain. The release follows on from previous singles ‘Retirement’ and ‘False Objects’, which have received high praise from the likes of BBC6 Music, So Young, DIY and Clash, amongst others.
Speaking of the single, vocalist and guitarist Ben Morgan states:
This is probably the moodiest, darkest sounding song on the album, which is befitting seeing as the lyrics are about illness and the looming threat of death we all face. This used to be something that kept me up at night but doesn’t so much anymore, I think eventually we all accept the fragility of life. It’s another song that builds throughout like one big long crescendo constantly building in intensity. Particularly mid-way through when the tempo speeds up and the vocals become frantic and anxious. I wanted the people listening to feel stressed and on edge.
The band’s most ambitious release to date, Natural Habitat discusses a full palette of emotions, ranging from anxiety to the supernatural, whether that be disguised in cryptic language or told bluntly.
In support of the album’s release, Treeboy & Arc have also announced details of their upcoming UK headline tour, taking place this October, including stops at London’s Moth Club and Manchester’s YES Basement.
Treeboy & Arc Tour Dates
- 10/06 – Bedford, Ceremony at Esquires
- 22/07 – Cheshire, Bluedot
- 24/08 – Preston, Glastonferret at The Ferret w/ Bodega
- 25/08 – Birkenhead, Future Now at Future Yard w/ The Bug Club
- 27/08 – Leeds, This Must Be The Place at Belgrave Music Hall w/ Bodega
- 17/10 – Brighton, Prince Albert*
- 18/10 – London, Moth Club*
- 19/10 – Margate, Where Else?*
- 20/10 – Bristol, Rough Trade*
- 21/10 – Cardiff, Swn Fest
- 25/10 – Manchester, YES (Basement)*
- 26/10 – Glasgow, Nice N Sleazy*
- 28/10 – Nottingham, Karma Weekender at Chameleon
*Headline Show
Debut Album out on July 7th
The track follows on from previous single False Objects, inspired by late-night TV and specifically guitarist Ben Morgan’s fixation with Jack Osborne, which led to a love of The Osborne’s Want To Believe.
One of a small number of tracks on the album which aren’t spoken word, Morgan says of False Objects:
For some reason my girlfriend and I became weirdly obsessed with Jack Osbourne. We saw a programme called ‘Portals to Hell’ and the name sounded so ridiculous we watched it and it was Him presenting it, that opened a can of worms. He also does a show with Sharon and Ozzy called ‘The Osbournes Want to Believe’ where he plays them spooky video clips of ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot to convince them it’s real and plausible. A lot of it is bollocks obviously but some of it is pretty compelling and left me thinking “OK well if that isn’t a ghost, then what on earth is it?”. At some point, you can tell that Ozzy is really starting to buy into it all, and I realised that I was also starting to believe.
The band’s debut album pits pop against avant-garde and kraut-punk noise to see who comes out on top, setting a picturesque scene for quirky tales of disillusionment, loss, ill health, and the occasional Bob Mortimer obsession.
The new track follows on from the recent announcement of their debut album, Natural Habitat, which is set for release on July 7th via EMI North, partnered with Clue Records. Accompanying the announcement, the five-piece has also shared the album’s lead single – arriving in the form of Retirement.
One of the final tracks written for the album, Retirement‘s lyrics came together hastily, binding notebook pages and then recorded the next day. The track isn’t your average post-punk, and almost steps over the border into catchy Britpop.
Speaking of the track, guitarist Ben Morgan states:
We recorded the album in winter and at the time I was working at a cafe/restaurant. Most mornings I would have to get up at 5am, it would still be pitch black outside, hurriedly dress in multiple layers top and bottom and endure the 20 or so minute cycle through the bitter cold to work. I would arrive just before 6am where I would drag 20 or so tables and their accompanying chairs from inside the restaurant and onto the outdoor terrace, despite the fact that I knew for certain not a single person would sit on them all day in the sub-zero temperatures. It was this utter futility that left me longing to retire, at 25.” He continues, ‘Being any kind of “creative” often takes a lot of hard work and to do it properly is almost like a full-time job in itself, except usually minus the financial gain. Many people are in a constant battle between survival and finding the time to do the things that truly matter to them, this is what ‘Retirement’ is about.
The single arrives with its accompanying music video, in which the band found the smallest possible pub in Leeds, and features retired people going about their day-to-day lives, completing crosswords, reading the paper, and just generally chilling out.
