Ahead of their highly anticipated debut album, Clasping Hands with the Moribund, due out in just over a week, LIFTER have released the captivating new single ‘October’ – a twinkly-folk track inspired by a poem about the changing seasons.
On the track, singer and guitarist Harry Fanshawe says:
We started piecing this together in October of two years ago when our first incarnation was coming to an end (our guitarist Olive had gone travelling). It began as a poem written on a leafy walk and, as we were moving into the new season and into a new chapter with other things, it’s very much about the mystery of what comes next when other things around you have gone.
Clasping Hands with the Moribund, LIFTER’s debut album, is a culmination of 18 months of relentless touring, lineup changes, musical experimentation, and unwavering dedication. Lovingly self-produced, like much of their previous work, the album was recorded in various settings, from Harry’s garden studio to Miles’ flat and even the historic St Dunstan’s church in South Bristol.
The album features the core duo of Harry Fanshawe (guitar) and Miles Ward (bass/production), joined by a talented ensemble of musicians including Angus James (The Death of Pop), Chris Hicks (Swelt), Douglas Evans and Anna Strudwick (cellists), Reuben Brunt (violinist), Olive Featherstone (backing vocals), Harry Furniss (cornet), and drummers Stevie Fry and Oliver Cocup.
Already supporting the likes of Wednesday and Bar Italia, the 7-piece is setting off a UK headline tour this weekend, hitting Bristol, London, Derby, Southampton, Oxford, and Halifax.
Lifter Tour Dates
- Saturday October 19th @ The Ill Repute, Bristol
- Friday October 25th @ The Finsbury, London
- Saturday October 26th @ Dubrek, Derby
- Wednesday October 30th @ Suburbia, Southampton
- Thursday October 31st @ Common Ground, Oxford
- Friday November 1st @ Grayston Unity, Halifax
The new single follows on from the announcement of their debut album, ‘Clasping Hands with the Moribund’, out October 25th, and the lead single, ‘I Have Done My Waiting’.
The album features a stellar lineup with former Modern Rituals guitarist Harry Fanshawe and bassist/producer Miles Ward at its core. Joining them on the tracks, The Death of Pop co-leader Angus James, Swelt guitarist Chris Hicks, cellists Douglas Evans and Anna Strudwick, violinist Reuben Brunt, backing vocalist Olive Featherstone, corner player Harry Furniss, and drummers Stevie Fry and Oliver Cocup.
Frontman Harry said of the single:
I was at the end of an era of something in my life when I wrote ‘Waiting’, about how things would be different now, and whether we’d look back and think we’d not made the most of what we had when we had it.
He continues, “The song came together fairly quickly musically, but once the track’s structure was completed, we made adjustments and played it with various different musicians. The result is the inclusion of two different drummers, a violinist, a cellist, a cornet player, Rhodes piano, slide guitar, amongst others.”
The current incarnation of the band is characterised by a rich, diverse blend of musical influences, incorporating elements of slowcore, folk, country, and indie rock into their latest release with impressive skill. The band has evolved from their earlier sound, moving towards a more intricate, pastoral sonic approach that results in a departure from their scrappier sound, showcasing a more refined and expansive musical direction.
