Stalwart Irish post-rock outfit And So I Watch You From Afar have released ‘North Coast Megafauna’, the latest single from their forthcoming 7th album ‘Megafauna’ which is set for release on the August 9 via Pelagic Records.
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 a nod to the Irish roots that simultaneously ground & propel them forward.
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 effervescent life in an endorphin rush of creative collaboration and togetherness after the physical and psychological wilderness of isolation.
The similarly named opening track ‘North Coast Megafauna’ serves as an appropriate anthem for the record and indeed for a band reinvigorated too. Proudly wearing their noisy math-rock, free jazz and experimental indie melting pot on their sleeves, ‘North Coast Megafauna’ is an eclectic, care-free confrontation of ASIWYFA’s joyously jarring collection of musical influences and cultural inspirations.
Listen to North Coast Megafauna here
https://orcd.co/asiwyfa
To accompany this new single, And So I Watch You From Afar has released a fascinating new video. This one echoes the band’s tribute to their homeland throughout the album. Their beloved places of Belfast, the Irish coast and the surrounding forests are brought to life here by the intense, almost possessed choreography of dancer Sarah Flavelle.
‘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 the their long-running mantra of ‘DO THE SCARY THING’ which sees ASIWYFA constantly hurtling towards newness, towards progress, evolution 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’s Rory Friers on ‘North Coast Megafauna’: “One of our favourite tracks on the record. A love letter to the North Coast, our friends there, the energy, the cold days skateboarding, the long summers in the sea, our beloved music venue, the closeness of it all. It has the heart of the land there with the weight of the North Atlantic”
Pre Order Megafauna at https://orcd.co/asiwyfa
Find ASIWYFA online:
asiwyfa.com facebook.com/andsoiwatchyoufromafar twitter.com/ASIWYFA_BAND instagram.com/asiwyfa_music pelagic-records.com