Crows have today released their latest single, ‘Is It Better?’, the final track to be lifted from their upcoming album Reason Enough, set to be released at the end of this month through Bad Vibrations Records. The track is a reflection of the challenging year that lead singer James Cox experienced while writing the album.
He explains:
It’s a homage to the friends and my family who helped guide me get through it. It’s also a reflection on having gone through something and not coming out unscathed – dealing with the damage I picked up along the way, and accepting my new reality.
Working once again with Manoela Chiabai (Tove Lo, SG Lewis, FLO, Depeche Mode, IDLES, Future Islands) for the video, he states “When I heard ‘Is it better?’, I thought there was something so incredibly absurd about the lyrics and the title that poses an impossible question. I started to think about a man that feels dead inside and just wants to escape life, but not even at his own funeral he can find peace, and as such he finds himself in some sort of a loop. This attempt to divorce ourselves from the world is actually what represents the inescapable human condition.’ He continues, ‘As the song is very catchy and upbeat, leaning into the absurd with ridiculous humour and playfulness was fun and interesting to explore – having Crows as cameos getting into the most stupid fight ever over a double dipper was so gratifying! It was by far one the funniest experiences I’ve ever had on set.”
In just under a month the band are set to release Reason Enough. Despite remaining their punk spirit, the band’s sound has become more polished and unified than ever before. The album showcases the most mature and melodic work from Crows, made in collaboration with award-winning producer Andy Savours, known for his work with the likes of Black Country, New Road and My Bloody Valentine.
Crows Tour Dates
- Oct 5 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
- Oct 9 – Brighton, UK @ DUST
- Oct 10 – Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
- Oct 11 – Glasgow, UK @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
- Oct 12 – Dublin, IE @ The Soundhouse
- Oct 14 – Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Nottingham
- Oct 15 – London, UK @ Village Underground
- Oct 17 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
- Oct 18 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ The Trades Club
- Oct 18 – Cardiff, UK @ Sŵn Festival
- Oct 28 – Cologne, DE @ Yard Club
- Oct 29 – Hamburg, DE @ Turmzimmer
- Oct 30 – Copenhagen, DE @ Loppen
- Nov 1 – Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree
- Nov 8 – Kortrijk, BE @ Sonic City
- Nov 9 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
- Nov 10 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
- Nov 13 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
- Nov 14 – Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
- Nov 15 – Tours, FR @ Au Temps Machine
- Nov 16 – Rennes, FR @ Antipode MJC Rennes
CROWS new album, Reason Enough, set for release September 27th via Bad Vibrations. Today, the four-piece release their brand new single, ‘Visions Of Me’, another highlight from the album, following the success of their previous single, ‘Bored’.
Of the track, vocalist James Cox explains:
When writing ‘Vision Of Me’ I was struggling with some unhealthy emotional tendencies that I’d developed over several years. I was exploring my own reactive behaviour and becoming someone I hated, and at the same time, coming to terms with the reasons this happened. It’s a very cathartic song for me as it stirs up some difficult memories, but also shows me how far I’ve come since then, and that the things that took me there are no longer able to hurt me.
Alongside the single, the band have also shared its accompanying music video, of which, director Alexandre Do states, ‘This song made me think of how hard it is to change as a person, how we usually fall back to our own habits. I wanted to see hundreds of clones of James, past versions of him who all do the same thing in an immovable routine. Making this music video was a real feat, but I am ecstatic seeing it on screen and so thankful to all the people who believed in us and the idea.’
The band’s punk spirit remains intact throughout Reason Enough, but this time they are more refined and cohesive than ever before. This album showcases the most mature sound from Crows, with an added focus on melody. For Reason Enough, the band worked with Mercury Prize-winning producer Andy Savours, who has previously collaborated with the likes of Black Country, New Road, and My Bloody Valentine.
Crows will tour the UK/EU from October to November, with tickets on sale now.
New Album ‘Reason Enough’ out in September
Th new track follows on from previous single, ‘Bored’. Alongside the single, the band have revealed that their highly-anticipated new album, Reason Enough, is set to be released on September 27th, through Bad Vibrations. Accompanying the announcement, the band have announced that they will be touring across the UK and Europe this October and November.
Of the new track, vocalist James Cox states:
Like so many musicians today, being off album cycle means no touring, which in turn means looking for more day-to-day work options to make ends meet. We wrote ‘Reason Enough’ in a period like this when we were all simultaneously working day jobs to pay the bills. And when we’re not touring, I become way more aware of, and susceptible to, the news cycle.
He continues, ‘Being bombarded by constant doom and gloom can create a real despondent maelstrom. With what seemed like no hope for respite, or any change to my routine whatsoever, the song ‘Bored’ came out of that cycle of waking up and not being able to shake the feeling of wanting to bang your forehead against a brick wall.”
The single is released along with its music video, directed by Manoela Chiabai (known for her work with Tove Lo, SG Lewis, FLO, Depeche Mode, IDLES, Future Islands), which pays homage to Jim Jarmusch’s film Paterson, B movies in the style of John Carpenter, and references to Camberwell and Freud’s The Uncanny.
