RAZORLIGHT SHARE ANOTHER NEW SINGLE WITH ‘EMPIRE SERVICE’

The return of Razorlight with ‘Scared Of Nothing’ saw the resurgent band attract a wave of attention spanning Radio X, Spotify, NME and Absolute Radio as their classic line-up returned to action. And they soon affirmed their belief in their new music with the revelation that they turned down a huge, lucrative ‘Greatest Hits’ tour in favour of taking the upcoming ‘Planet Nowhere’ album to small venues across the land, just as they did when they started out. All of those shows sold-out in a matter of moments, and Razorlight now add to the growing interest around them by sharing the album’s second single ‘Empire Service’.

‘Empire Service’ ups the ante after ‘Scared Of Nothing’ with juddering post-punk rhythms and scuzzy barbed wire riffs providing the foundations for Johnny Borrell’s attention-grabbing and wildly flailing vocals. His words place us aboard a fraught journey on the Empire Service – a train service which runs from New York City via Albany and onto Niagara Falls, often running in parallel to stunning views of the Hudson River.

Johnny says, “‘Empire Service’ is a documentary collection of recorded speech from the NY trainline of the same name, written in collaboration with novelist Lauren Rothery.

It was the first time in a very long time that I’ve written with someone from outside the group. Lauren was just reading me some dialogue she’d overheard on the Empire Service train and well, I like people and their syntaxes, and I like trains and just thought, this would make a great song and we kind of wrote it right there.”

Like ‘Scared of Nothing’, ‘Empire Service’ was recorded during sessions with the acclaimed producer Youth at his studio in the south of Spain.

Razorlight reunited in 2021. Johnny and drummer Andy Burrows had been nervous about meeting up for the first time in years, but the tensions behind their original split soon dissipated as the pair reestablished a mutual trust. Joined by Björn Ågren (guitar) and Carl Dalemo (bass), the foursome’s passion was ignited by the camaraderie and energy that comes with once again being in a band together.

Gigs with Muse, Kaiser Chiefs and James followed, as did their own sold-out London show at the Eventim Apollo. But no-one in Razorlight wanted to effectively become their own tribute band, so they vowed to write a new album that would stand alongside their original work together. Youth was chosen to produce the new record, his calming presence helping Björn in counteracting the other three members’ neurotic tendencies. And once ‘Scared Of Nothing’ set the tone for what they were doing, Razorlight were definitely, defiantly back. It was a moment captured in the band’s recent ‘making of’ video.

Razorlight end their summer touring with the Victorious Festival and then an outdoor headline show at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. They’re back on the road in October for their sold-out underplay tour, which they’ll follow with a special ‘Up All Night’ anniversary show at the O2 Academy Brixton. Their upcoming shows are:

AUGUST

23rd – Portsmouth, Victorious Festival (with Snow Patrol, Fatboy Slim)

30th – Nottingham, Wollaton Hall (with special guests Feeder, The Pigeon Detectives and The Sherlocks)

OCTOBER – UNDERPLAY TOUR

18th – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon (SOLD OUT)

19th – Edinburgh, Mash House (SOLD OUT)

20th – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club (SOLD OUT)

21st – Manchester, Band on the Wall (SOLD OUT)

22nd – Brighton, Komedia (SOLD OUT)

24th – Bristol, Strange Brew (SOLD OUT)

NOVEMBER

21st – London, O2 Academy Brixton (with special guests Mystery Jets)

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