NEWSHAPES TO RELEASE NEW EP
Hot on the heels of their recent headline tour, the Scottish quartet known as newshapes have unveiled their newest single, ‘rescue light.’ This high-octane release serves as the definitive final chapter of their three-track EP, somehow i still believe, which is slated for arrival on May 20th through LAB Records.
Functioning as a heartfelt tribute to the golden era of 2000s post-hardcore, ‘rescue light' draws significant inspiration from foundational acts such as Saosin and Underoath. The track stands out as one of the band's fastest and most aggressive offerings to date, characterized by a deliberate intensity that permeates every note. These nostalgic influences are woven into the very fabric of the music, evidenced by the guitars being tuned to the quintessential teenage classic of Drop D. After becoming a standout moment in their recent live sets, the band has successfully captured that raw stage energy within the studio recording, providing listeners with a visceral preview of what awaits at their upcoming performances.
The new single succeeds their previous releases, ‘falling away’ and ‘baptise,’ by introducing a significantly heavier sonic palette and more visceral vocal deliveries to round out the somehow i still believe trilogy. As they continue to solidify their reputation within the United Kingdom's alternative landscape, this EP serves as a deeply cathartic investigation into the complexities of faith and the sting of betrayal. By seamlessly blending elements of emo, post-hardcore, and indie rock across its three movements, the record narrates the journey of an individual grappling with the disintegration of their belief system, navigating through the heavy emotional terrain of anger, despair, and desperate bargaining.
Reflecting on the power of their live performance, newshapes shared: “‘rescue light’ is how we’ve opened our shows this year, and it opens the EP for a reason. It’s probably the most relentlessly aggressive we’ve been in a song, and it’s one that fires us up and gets us in the headspace we need to be in to go out and show people what we can do, whether they’re in the room with us or listening elsewhere.”
Currently traversing Europe and the UK alongside Never Easy, newshapes are rapidly ascending as one of the most formidable and promising entities in the realm of heavy alternative music. Since joining the LAB Records roster, their sophomore EP from last year, a conversation with myself, has achieved the impressive milestone of surpassing one million streams on Spotify.
The lineup of newshapes consists of vocalist Ian Mann, guitarist Stephen Christie, bassist Michael Hamilton, and drummer Logan Whyte.
