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SINGLE Scarborough // ARTIST Fingerless
Hold on tight, we’re leaping into 19th Century England today as Brisbane psych-folk collective Fingerless bust out a criminally hypnotic slow burner with their brand new track Scarborough.
Following the story of a tragic love triangle set in a small fishing village in 19th Century UK, the new track Scarborough from Brissie quartet Fingerless claws at medieval influences and sombre melodics that bewitches with its curved textures, silky vocals and murky tones while actively lulling you into the world of this woozy lot. Previously drawing on more psychedelic folk-rock waters on their previous releases (including their 2018 album Outhere), Scarborough may seem to have its roots in the past – but on closer inspection, there’s thematic wisps of technological angst and social anxiety strewn beneath the opiate melodics that unfurl across the ballad.
Recorded live with no click track with Darek Mudge (Violent Soho, Tired Lion), and taking a leaf out of Ringo Starr’s book by dulling the drums and bass with everyday items in studio, Scarborough is a sneaky slice of simplicity that has a whole lot lurking beneath the surface, as vocalist/guitarist Marc Cheeseman explains:
“Initially I wanted it to be a quiet song, like something you would hear in a dark corner of a tavern in rural England on a stormy night. Like an almost forgotten folk song with a deep past…But when we started jamming on the song as a band it just felt better to play it loud. It seemed more urgent and compelling, like an epic folk ballad containing secret knowledge.”
And no love story eons old would be complete without a music video to throw into the mix, with the Fingerless bunch filming along the Brisbane River in Murarrie. Produced and edited by the band’s drummer Jonny Pickvance, the black and white clip deftly juxtaposes its antique sonic tendencies, flashing modern settings against the softer tune rolling along beneath. Overall, Scarborough is a torrid lesson in mesmerising restraint and is sure to tickle the fancy of anyone keen on Renaissance Fairs, relaxation or just something totally different to what your Spotify may normally spit at you.
THE BRAND NEW TRACK SCARBOROUGH FROM FINGERLESS IS OUT NOW VIA 4000 RECORDS, YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT BELOW, AND FOR ALL OTHER INFO HEAD HERE.
BY TIANA SPETER