Released yesterday, ‘BLACKOUT 9.0’ is the latest release from London-based quintet Louis & The Shakes.
With burly percussion from the start and spiky synths woven with a fizzing falsetto vocal delivery, the track sounds huge. It follows the band’s latest release, “Sorry,” which teased their new, heavier sound earlier this year. It shows a sonic transformation for the band, with a more aggressive sound and harder-hitting production. Blackout 9.0 is a personal song to the band that explores the temporary relief found in alcohol for anxieties, which inevitably resurface. It could see as a powerful reminder that while alcohol may provide a temporary escape, it won’t solve underlying issues.
Vocalist Louis Antoniou explains more :
“I had to really dig deep on this one as this is one of the most personal songs I’ve ever written. I had the concept and lyrics for a while, but I chopped and changed the arrangement numerous times…eventually on the 9th attempt I felt like it was a true representation of my experiences, using alcohol as an escapism and the added anxieties that come with that. There was also something quite tongue in cheek about calling it ‘BLACKOUT 9.0’ as if blacking out repeatedly. That gallows humour is something I particularly enjoy, because that’s very real to me. I feel as a band we really pushed ourselves with this track, we all knew this one had the makings to be one of our boldest tracks. The intensity ramps up with every section of the track which I was conscious of doing, evoking that rush and simultaneously descending into oblivion.”
Releasing via the iconic Marquee Records label, the single follows on from last month’s triumphant show at The Lexington in London, and sees the band at the peak of their evolution, honing a darker soundscape whilst nodding towards a more pop sensibility. Previously the band have seen support from Radio X, BBC Introducing, Gigwise, Louder Than War and Far Out Magazine, and now armed with a richer and fuller sound they’re set to propel themselves even further into the stratosphere.
