Neon Waltz Release New Single WINNER via Fierce Panda Records
Frontman Jordan Shearer scripted and directed the accompanying video, filmed with the full band.
Neon Waltz have released their new single 'Winner,' out now via Fierce Panda Records.
Described as 'Britain's most northerly band,' the enduringly defiant Scottish indie group blend their wind-lashed John O'Groats reality with sunnier climes on the track, splicing distorted six-string storms with warm, emotionally charged lo-fi rock. 'Winner' is only the band's second single in three years.
The accompanying video was scripted and directed by frontman and lyricist Jordan Shearer, continuing what the release describes as Neon Waltz's rich tradition of playful, creative artistry. The video, filmed with the full band, brings each member into contention for acting plaudits, but only two in line for a prestigious darts championship.
The song was recorded in Glasgow with Tom Rees (Do Nothing, Panic Shack, The Bug Club). According to the band, the song's fabrication came about in typically Neon Waltz circumstances: a small studio, working against the clock, and intermittent standoffs with a busy Mexican takeaway immediately next door.
'The studio was tiny but had a good vibe, although it was right next door to a very busy Mexican takeaway, which had its obvious perks but did Tom's head in,' says Shearer. 'You could hear everything happening, both ways. I think he actually went in and asked them to turn Radio 2 off for a couple of hours. Every now and again someone waiting on their food would stick their nose up against the studio window before realising it wasn't a shop selling vintage gear.'
Despite the chaos, 'Winner's' message is rooted in watching a friend pass through one of life's cruel tests. The song stands as a totem to keeping the faith, coming through and celebrating crossing the finish line.
'The song was written with a good friend in mind, who went through something pretty difficult in life that really shouldn't need to be,' adds drummer, Darren Coghill. 'Having not been in the same situation myself, I was trying to imagine their overwhelming sense of relief once it was done. The longer the struggle, the greater the reward, sort of thing.'
'Winner's' release continues a period of renewed activity for the band. Send Me Down, itself a reaction to the sense of adversity that had shrouded the band as they battled ever stronger headwinds, was the first studio recording from the band since the release of their second album, Honey Now, in 2023. The single received on air support from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Scotland and Radio X, alongside coverage from Clash Magazine, Live4Ever and Tenement TV.
Neon Waltz's current four-piece line-up is made up of Shearer (vocals), Coghill (drums), Jamie Swanson (guitar) and Kevin Swanson (guitar). The band's debut album Strange Hymns, released in 2017, established the group as one of the more distinctive breakthrough names in British melodic alternative rock, earning critical praise for its 'left-field melodic beauty' (Record Collector). The band cite influences including The National, The Band, The Walkmen and Grizzly Bear.
As next summer marks ten years since the release of their debut, the band has gone from their extreme northern base to stages and festivals around the UK, Europe and as far as Austin, Texas, before returning to Scotland to continue making music together.
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