Biffy Clyro make a sensational return with their brand new single “Instant History”, which is the first track to preview their forthcoming eighth studio album. “Britain’s best band” (Kerrang!) and “The champions of stadium rock” (The Guardian) returned to #1 in 2016 with their previous album ‘Ellipsis’, which they followed with ‘MTV Unplugged: Live At Roundhouse’ and the soundtrack to the film ‘Balance Not Symmetry’.
Produced by the Grammy-winning Rich Costey (Foo Fighters, Muse, The Killers), “Instant History” is a striking statement of intent from the trio. Always pushing the boundaries of their sound, “Instant History” captures the band’s collision course of melody, aggression and skyscraper hooks. That dynamic power is also freshly revitalised with strident, cinematic synths and soaring vocal harmonies.
“This time around we wanted to lead with something that was the most out there thing which we’ve got on the record. ‘Instant History’ is the biggest, most slammest pop moment we’ve ever worked on,” enthuses frontman Simon Neil. “It’s a fantastic opening statement, although musically it doesn’t reflect the album’s direction. But thematically it’s a good pointer for what the album is about: learning from mistakes and realising how you can move things forward. Things can be similar although they’ll never be the same, but let’s not be scared of that.”
The new album finds Biffy Clyro – completed by the Johnston brothers James (bass) and Ben (drums) – pushing everything they do best to the next level. They’ve excelled at delivering some of the most captivating choruses of their career alongside explosions of sheer visceral intensity and some stirring, evocative orchestration. That eclectic quality keeps things thrilling unpredictable, especially as those traits often all emerge in the course of a single track.
Biffy Clyro have emerged from their independent beginnings to become Britain’s premier rock band. Their two most recent albums ‘Ellipsis’ (2016) and ‘Opposites’ (2013) both shot straight to #1 in the charts after breaking through with their earlier sets ‘Only Revolutions’ (#3, 2009) and ‘Puzzle’ (#2, 2007).
That success has been underlined with a wide range of major awards. These include four NME Awards (2 x Best British Band, Best Live Band and Best Music Video); four Kerrang! Awards (Best British Band, Classic Songwriter, Best Album and Best Music Video); and three Q Awards (Best Live Band, Best Album and the Fender Play Award). They’ve also been nominated for two BRIT Awards (both for Best British Group) and a Mercury Prize.
Having previously headlined festivals including Reading, Leeds, Download and TRSNMT, Biffy Clyro will play Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee in May. They’re part of an all-star bill that currently also features AJ Tracey, Calvin Harris, Camilla Cabello, Dua Lipa and Harry Styles.
