Isle of Wight band As We Leave has a new single out called Rarely Been So Long. On its surface there’s a sun-dappled, lazy summery aura going on as it opens on a gentle scene-setter: a guitar chord gently thrumming. This hazy confection has a nostalgic feel, the vocals revealing a wistful quality, uncertainty in its midst. There’s a deeper meaning to these lyrics.
“‘Rarely Been So Long’ is a playful tongue in cheek nod to cynicism and comic disillusionment,” says the band. “‘We wanted the song to conjure up elements of Bulgakov’s absurdities but instead of the paranoia of Stalin’s 30’s era Moscow, we have the less dangerous panorama of a backwards Victorian island, stuck in limbo….’”
The band have a new EP – their second – called Stop Making Plans, due to be released 26th June.
Once again the band have adopted the “very rustic and nonchalant ‘do it yourself’ posture of the first EP, suggesting they are comfortable in home surroundings and a much more relaxed approach to their creativity”. Yet again, they write, produce and record all the material themselves.
We’ve featured an interview with As We Leave.
Rarely Been So Long by As We Leave, out 27th May; EP ‘Stop Making Plans’ out 26th June 2022.