Ireland’s art punk maestros, The Murder Capital, have released a third single off their forthcoming debut album ‘When I Have Fears’ which is due for release on 16 August 2019. And based on the singles released thus far (and an accidental preview), this is an album to look forward to.
‘Don’t Cling to Life’ has a sense of foreboding and dread imbued in its taut, prowling instrumentation, with singer James McGovern’s menacing fatalistic lines ‘don’t cling to life, there’s nothing on the other side’ adding to the emotional strength of the song. There’s a seething, burning tone that haunts and repeats, accompanied by a moody, visceral video clip that somehow recalls the sense of impending horror in movies like ‘The Wicker Man’ (original version, of course).
This is a very, very exciting band that brings back an element of danger and excitement to rock’n’roll, with a song that evinces joy, discomfort and an edgy pulsating energy all in one. What sets The Murder Capital apart from their peers is the poetic brutalism that infuses this song as McGovern exhorts: ‘Let’s stay enclosed for all our days’ and rejects the crumbling world outside the room.
The band last week announced a series of strictly limited in-stores and intimate performances for August to promote the new album:
Mon 18th Aug – BELFAST – Strange Victory Records – performance + signing
Mon 19th Aug – GLASGOW – Monorail – performance + signing
Tues 20th Aug – MANCHESTER – FOPP (afternoon show) – performance + signing
Wed 21st Aug – LEEDS – Crash – signing
Thurs 22nd Aug – LONDON – Rough Trade East (afternoon show) – performance + signing
Thurs 22nd Aug – BRIGHTON – Resident Music (evening) – performance + signing
The album will be available on gatefold colour LP, black LP, as part of a limited bundle (gatefold colour LP, t-shirt, pin & journal), CD and as a digital download. You can pre-order here.
There will be a chance to see The Murder Capital over the next few months – they have quite a reputation for their live performances. Here are their dates:
13th July – Heartbreakers – Southampton, UK
14th July – Citadel Festival – London, UK
15th July – The Portland Arms – Cambridge, UK
16th July – The Boiler Room – Guildford, UK
18th July – Valkhof Festival – Nijmegen, NL
19th July – Latitude Festival – Beccles, UK
20th July – The Independent – Sunderland, UK
21st July – Doune The Rabbit Hole – Port of Meredith, UK
23rd July – The Crescent – York, UK
24th July – The Cookie – Leicester, UK
25th July – The Arts Club – Liverpool, UK
27th July – Truck Fest – Oxford UK
28th July – Y Not Festival – Pikehall, UK
4th August – All Together Now – Waterford, Ireland
10th August – Boardmasters – Newquay, UK
11th August – Boomtown Fair – Winchester, UK
16th August – The Button Factory – Dublin, IRE
23rd August – Cabaret Vert – Charleville Mezieres, France
25th August – Rock En Seine – Paris, France
30th August – Into The Great Wide Open – Vlieland, Netherlands
1st September – End of the Road – Salisbury, UK
26th September – Death Disco – Athens, Greece
7th October – The Exchange – Bristol, UK
8th October – Bodega Social Club – Nottingham, UK
10th October – Dome, Tuffnell Park – London, UK
11th October – The Haunt – Brighton, UK
12th October – Castle & Falcon – Birmingham, UK
14th October – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, UK
15th October – The Mash House – Edinburgh, UK
16th October – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut – Glasgow, UK
18th October – YES (The Pink Room) – Manchester, UK
19th October – Ritual Union – Oxford, UK
20th October – Swn Fest – Cardiff, UK
25th October – London Calling – Amsterdam, Netherlands
26th October – V11 – Rotterdam, NL
28th October – Le Grand Mix – Tourcoing, FR
29th October – Portobello – Caen, FR
31st October – Le Rocher de Palmer – Bordeaux, FR
1st November – La Rex – Toulouse, FR
2nd November – La Paloma – Nimes, FR
4th November – Joker’s Pub – Angers, FR
6th November – Nouveau Casino – Paris, FR
8th November – L’Autre Canal – Nancy, FR
9th November – La Poudriere – Belfort, FR
10th November – Sonic City – Kortrijk, Belgium
12th November – Molotow Musikclub – Hamburg, DE
13th November – Music und Frieden – Berlin, DE
14th November – Artheater – Cologne, DE
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