Stalwart Irish post-rock outfit And So I Watch You From Afar have released ‘Years Ago’, the third single from their forthcoming seventh album ‘Megafauna’ which is set for release on the 9th of August, 2024 via Berlin’s Pelagic Records.
Listen to Years Ago here
https://orcd.co/asiwyfa
A tribute to the two places the collective call home, their beloved Portrush on the Irish North Coast and the beating heart that is Belfast; ‘Megafauna’ is headstrong exploration and heartfelt appreciation with all the intuition, intimacy and humour of four firm friends approaching their 20th year as a band and an important creative nod to the Irish roots that simultaneously ground & propel them forward.
A contemplative yet characteristically playful piece, ‘Years Ago’ is a shining example of ASIWYFA’s inimitable grasp of creative composition and call-and-response dynamics. Shuffling, laid back drums drift underneath wandering, effortless melodies as the overdrive slowly but surely sneaks up on us, bursting in a gleeful cascade of duelling guitars and spiralling cymbals. ‘Years Ago’ is ASIWYFA in their jarring yet joyous element; a musical melting pot of cultural influences and diverse inspirations.
Like so many other bands and artists throughout the pandemic, ASIWYFA found themselves suddenly stationary, with any plans outside of their immediate vicinity put on indefinite hold. However, where this might have seen other acts falter, ASIWYFA took comfort in their communal bond and, as soon as they were able, began writing a record that quickly became a love letter to the communities they call home. The intent behind ‘Megafauna’ is clear from the outset; two guitars, bass and drums all recorded in a week erupt into life in an endorphin rush of collaboration and togetherness after the physical and psychological wilderness of isolation.
‘Megafauna’ will be the band’s first full-length release since 2022’s critically-acclaimed ‘Jettison’, an ambitious multi-media ensemble piece packed full of experimentation and collaboration. Jokingly referring to ‘Jettison’ as their mature record’, the band framed the writing of ‘Megafauna’ around their long-running mantra of ‘DO THE SCARY THING’ which sees ASIWYFA constantly hurtling towards newness, progress and the unknown. Whilst the new record is ASIWYFA taking on a more familiar, traditional form; in this post-’Jettison’, post-pandemic world ‘Megafauna’ is a deafening and defiant statement of intent from the band’s propulsive core – a clarion call for the communities that shape them, a resplendent celebration of togetherness over separation.
And So I Watch You From Afar on ‘Years Ago’: “Where Years Ago retains some of the urgency that is across Megafauna, for me it also presents another colour of the record – A kind of sensitivity. Underpinned by a nod to the old hip hop loops that we all grew up on.”
Pre Order Megafauna at https://orcd.co/asiwyfa
