Following their re-signing to Xtra Mile Recordings earlier this year – JIM LOCKEY & THE SOLEMN SUN – are back with new single “Reno”. Watch the video here.
The track arrives alongside the announcement of the band’s first album in over 10 years ‘Colour’, set for release on 28 July.
Lead single “Reno” is a powerful affirmation of spirit from Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun as they re-emerge after a nine year-long hiatus. A song all about fresh starts, which seeks that flicker of faith amongst the wreckage of uncertainty and chaos, Jim explains of “Reno”:
“”Reno” is an ambitious love song celebrating the first spark, the connection and endless possibilities of what lies ahead. It’s both the resolution of a past life and the beginning of a new one.”
A spirited indie/rock anthem that blends bouncy guitar riffs, rousing vocal melodies and optimistic chorus hooks, it all makes for an uplifting track that proudly declares their return to music.
“Reno” is the first single to be taken from the band’s new album ‘Colour’, set for release on 28 July via Xtra Mile Recordings. Making a return to their old label after almost ten years, the new record sees Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun shift their sonic output towards more positive territory with a slightly lighter outlook than fans are used to. “Whilst lyrically heavy,” Jim explains, “we wanted to shift the focus and lean into our biggest choruses, letting them develop organically.”
Focused on prominent occurrences in Jim’s life since the band last released music almost a decade ago, ‘Colour’ tackles the thoughts and feelings that the frontman finds himself most at war with. Dealing with the premature end of a marriage, rediscovering himself as an individual and finding ways through are all themes that bubble under the record’s surface. As Jim explains:
“Written during the breakdown of a relationship that defined my life to this point, this album became a method of healing. Like the chaotic process of grieving it’s an agitated reflection that shifts back and forth — from losing everything to rediscovering myself and finding the resolve to move forward. It was a hugely cathartic process for me, and it’s the most personal I’ve ever been.”
Alongside “Reno”, the album features everything from enormous anthems like “You & I” and rampant indie rock-tinted cuts like “Mercy Wave” to grittier, more melodic moments like “Always” and airy and impending ballads like “Shame”. As a record that takes in a diverse palette of sounds and takes in every shade of life’s rich tapestry, there was only ever one title the band had in mind for their 2023 comeback album. As Jim adds:
“The title ‘Colour’ suited these songs and my experiences perfectly. For me colour is what defines a life: it controls our moods, changes our perceptions and decides how we experience the world. We’re constantly searching for colour in our lives, and immediately feel its absence.”
After forming as a folk-punk band in 2009, Cheltenham four-piece Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun originally signed to Xtra Mile Recordings in 2011, before releasing their acclaimed album ‘Death’ a year later.
Completing two UK headline tours, playing sets at festivals around the world including SXSW and supporting the likes of Mumford & Sons, Johnny Flynn and Peter Doherty, the band rounded out that whirlwind year with an unforgettable set opening for friend and fan Frank Turner.
Gaining widespread praise from the likes of Radio 1, John Kennedy at XFM, BBC 6 Music, Kerrang Radio and more, the band also gained a ‘Next Hype’ accolade from Zane Lowe and played a live session at Maida Vale. ‘Death’ also landed two Top 10 chart positions in the iTunes singer-songwriter chart (#7) and the Record Store Chart (#5), and the band were tipped as one of NME’s bands to watch for the year.
Back with a vengeance in 2023, stay tuned for more news from Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun very soon…
