Starbenders have announced the arrival of their third studio album, Take Back The Night, scheduled for release on August 11 via Sumerian Records.
To mark the news, the Atlanta-based rock'n'rollers have shared new single, We're Not Okay, a sullen yet sparkling exploration through the difficulties of addiction and illness.
Accompanying the track is a Gilbert Trejo-directed video, showing the glam rock quartet wandering through Hollywood, symbolising the hazardous path explored by many seeking the rock star lifestyle that LA has traditionally promised.
Speaking of the song, vocalist Kimi Shelter explains, "When I initially wrote We're Not OK, I was thinking about the struggle I’ve had with spirituality. Sometimes I feel like a poser when I try to tap into faith. That small voice going, “you really don’t believe”, “you know it’s not going to be any different”… and on and on.
"I brought my mentor and dear friend, James Hall, in to co-write. He was able to bring more light to that feeling of hopelessness that we all feel. What’s important is coming together to be “less not okay” and riding out the storm. The answering of prayers can be very subtle, we just have to keep our minds open to the possibility of things changing and working themselves out."
Elaborating on the accompanying visual, she adds: "We tapped into this further with the music video. We also had the honour of working with Gilbert Trejo. He immediately picked up on the sentiment of the song and wanted to show us floating through Hollywood, going through it. The band is depicted as eventually finding one another and carrying on along the walk of fame. Definitely deep rock n’ roll poetry."
Discussing the upcoming album, Starbenders declare in a statement: "Take Back The Night was born in the wake of the band’s most challenging obstacles to date. From life threatening necrotising bacterial pneumonia to addiction to two years of the world in limbo, it felt like the punches kept coming and coming.
"The band made a conscious decision that they were going to practice radical acceptance and stick together no matter what. The frustration and worries we choked down on the daily were transmuted into the compositions and sounds of the new record. All the triumph over serious obstacles made the rocket fuel that propelled their most cohesive and aggressive record ever."
In October, the foursome will jump the pond and head over to the UK for a headline tour.
Listen to We're Not Okay and view tour dates below:
Oct 09: Wolverhampton KK’s Steelmill
Oct 10: Leeds The Key Club
Oct 12: Nottingham Rock City
Oct 13: Glasgow The Cathouse
Oct 14: Manchester Satan’s Hollow
Oct 15: Southampton The Joiners
Oct 16: Bristol Thekla
Oct 18: Brighton Green Door Store
Oct 19: London Boston Music Rooms
Take Back The Night tracklist:
1. The Game
2. Sex
3. Body Talk
4. We're Not Ok
5. Cherry Wine
6. Seven White Horses
7. The End is Near
8. Blood Moon
9. If You Need It
10. Marianne
11. Poison
12. Midnight
13. Say You Will
