Brighton 4 piece BLACK PEAKS release the new single/video ‘Fate I’ today, Friday 2nd November, following its exclusive first play last night (Thursday Nov 1st) on Radio 1 with Annie Mac. The new video for ‘Fate I’ sees the band live and on the road in the UK and Europe (a tour that they are actually still currently on), directed and edited by photographer Sam Lees (www.samlees.net)
The band were also announced last week as support on the huge month long Enter Shikari UK headline tour in Jan/Feb 2019. For full list of dates, see below:
UK tour with Enter Shikari (other support Palaye Royale):
Fri-Jan-11 UK Nottingham Rock City
Sat-Jan-12 UK London Brixton Academy
Sun-Jan-13 UK Leicester 02 Academy
Tue-Jan-15 Wales Llandudno Venue Cymru
Wed-Jan-16 UK Liverpool 02 Academy
Fri-Jan-18 UK Bristol 02 Academy
Sat-Jan-19 UK Southend Cliffs Pavillion
Sun-Jan-20 UK Norwich UEA
Wed-Jan-23 UK Glasgow Barrowlands
Thu-Jan-24 UK Aberdeen Beach Ballroom
Fri-Jan-25 UK Inverness Ironworks
Sat-Jan-26 UK Preston Guildhall
Mon-Jan-28 UK Northampton Roadmender
Tue-Jan-29 UK Southampton Guildhall
Wed-Jan-30 UK Cambridge Corn Exchange
Fri-Feb-1 UK Birmingham 02 Academy
Sat-Feb-2 UK Leeds 02 Academy
Sun-Feb-3 UK Manchester Academy
Mon-Feb-4 UK Newcastle 02 Academy
A bit about the meaning behind the single ‘Fate I’ from singer Will Gardner – “The songwriting for ‘All That Divides’ happened over two sessions, and ‘Fate’ was one of the last songs that came from first batch. We started playing it live towards the end of the Statues tour. The main section of the song came together when our tour van was stopped in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside, and for some reason Joe (Gosney, guitar) decided this was the best possible time to change his guitar strings… He started jamming the final section of the song and we all immediately shouted – ‘Wooahh! That’s awesome, lets keep that!’
Lyrically the song was inspired by some ‘people watching’ – and observing examples of humanity’s lack of empathy, and self-obsession, especially in terms of how we treat the environment. Digging deeper, the song questions whether we are at a turning point where we can change our mindset and realise that we, as humans, don’t ‘own’ the world. Much like a lot of the album, we we’re keen to create a bit of a ‘journey’, and while the song comes from a place of sadness and anger, the chorus also has a undertone of hope and optimism.”
This single is the first part of the final double track ‘Fate I & II’ taken from the bands newly released 2nd album ‘All That Divides’, which came out on October 5th through Rise Records/BMG to rave reviews across the board. NME gave the album 5/5 and said “With ‘All That Divides’, the band delivers an album that’s confident, stylistically cohesive, and points towards their ascending star in the future. If there’s one thing that this album shows, it’s that Black Peaks are a force to be reckoned with.” whist Upset Magazine (of who put the band on the cover for their September issue) gave the album 5/5 and said ”BLACK PEAKS bellow unity from the rooftops. It’s not a political record, but it does dish out the blame…rather than dwelling in the more though, BLACK PEAKS want hope. They need it…A call to arms entwined, it’s a record of struggle and resistance. It doesn’t have the answers, but it knows they’re out there. It wants to find them together.”.
Other outlets like Kerrang! (4/5), Dork (5/5), Metal Hammer (8/10), Planet Rock Magazine (4/5), Rhythm (4/5), Discovered Magazine (10/10), The Skinny (4/5) and New Noise (US – 5/5) backed up the praise, with The Independent stating “..their sublime second album All That Divides, which is massive in every sense of the word. Bringing in Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse) was a master-stroke – his production plays a big part in how the album offers up vast sonic landscape that takes you on an intense, emotional journey via album highlight “Aether”, across “Slow Seas”, and closing on “Fate I & II”. This feels like a real achievement.”
The band have already released the singles ‘Home’, Electric Fires’ and ‘Can’t Sleep’, and the later was a Radio 1 Rock Show Rockest Record and Huw Stevens Single Of The Week in April, and is the opening track on ‘All That Divides’. Live wise in 2018, on top of their recent UK ‘All That Divides’ headline tour (that took in two sold out London show at The Omera and The Underworld) the band have toured with A Perfect Circle across Europe, a UK tour with Marmozets and a special one off show for BBC Radio 1 in Swansea, as a headliner for their Biggest Weekend Fringe Festival/event. These tours add to an already impressive touring history that includes dates and tours in UK and Europe with the likes of Mastodon, Architects, A System Of A Down, Prophets Of Rage, Dillinger Escape Plan, Bury Tomorrow, Lonely The Brave and Arcane Roots. In the summer, the band will played a host of UK and European festivals including ArcTanGent (August) and Reading and Leeds (August), a 2nd stage headlining slot at the 2000trees Festival (July) and Fat Lip Festival (August).