Giant Party have shared a new single – listen to ‘Loving Arms’ below.
The track, released last week (February 11), is a further taste of the band’s upcoming new album that’s set for release this summer.
The album is described in a statement as “an emotionally-charged reaction to a wave of tragedies experienced by brothers Al (vocals/guitars) and Tim Harrod (keyboards/vocals)”.
It continues: “The death of three family members, in particular their estranged father who they hadn’t seen in twenty years, left a void: suddenly they were forced to confront the insecurities his departure had caused head-on, while a succession of funerals forced the atheist brothers to revisit their religious upbringing.”
You can listen to the new song below:
Speaking about the album and its themes of grief, Al said: “I always thought I’d understood this early on, but it turns out I really hadn’t.
“It happened to me when I saw my Grandmother’s embalmed body at the funeral home. It was the first time that I truly stopped believing in the childhood-taught belief that we were all going to meet again.”
The album is also described in a statement as being “full of moments which are joyous, energising and escapist”.
It continues: “Loss is of course prevalent, but it’s a collection which spans the spectrum of the human experience, from the initial impact of grief to the hope for a brighter future. And while their religious faith is gone, there’s a powerful belief in brotherhood, friendship and the escapist thrills of being lost in music.”
Giant Party – completed by Mark Hyden (guitars) and Hugh Fox (drums) – cite influences including Talking Heads, New Order and Peter Gabriel, and have won support from Elton John on his Apple Music radio show.
The group’s self-titled debut EP came out back in 2017, with its four-track follow-up ‘8’ arriving the following year. A string of singles – ‘Dorothy’s Dancing’, ‘In Your Picture’ and ‘I Know You’re Gonna Let Her Down’ – were released in 2019.