Tribes return with energetic new single ‘Medicine’
Camden quartet Tribes have released their new single, ‘Medicine’. It is the second offering from their forthcoming third album, Rabbit Head, which arrives on August 18th via Downtown Music. It’s another stellar return to form from the band. A punk-imbued song boasting a potent four-to-floor-rhythm, anthemic vocals and the band’s customarily crunchy guitars, ensures that all signs presently point to the fact that Tribes’ new album is to be a triumph.
An energetic composition that harks back to the nostalgia underpinning Tribes’ 2012 debut album, Baby, it contains that specific form of Clash-esque punk native to their home of Camden, with it guaranteed to go off in the live setting, as it did when they made their return at the Dublin Castle in March. A welcome companion to Rabbit Head‘s lead single, ‘Hard Pill’, it’s impossible not to give yourself up to this one, with the spirit palpable.
As the band explained when releasing ‘Hard Pill’, they’ve decided to give things another go because of a pure love of the craft, with the myriad of extraneous elements once in the way now out of the picture. This idea also shines through on ‘Medicine’. It’s unadulterated rock ‘n’ roll that promises the listener a good time and a sonic escape for all involved.
Discussing ‘Medicine’, frontman Johnny Lloyd says: “‘Medicine’ was one of the last songs we recorded for Rabbit Head and was just a wave of energy exploding out onto tape. It’s about being in our band and being out on the road together. They had it good in the 70’s, I’ve never even seen a limousine.”
Expanding on the pros and cons of being in a touring band, Tribes guitarist and Rabbit Head producer Dan White adds: “Turn it up! Windows down, heading straight back out of town at ten to miss the traffic. Service station, Travelodge, last night’s rider, water and cider rattling around at the lights. M1 M6 congestion charge.”
He continues: “Aux cable, toothpaste, iPhone charger, pants. Tube screamer, turbo rat, tuner mayonnaise. Picks. Louder! Alright lads. Load in round the back by the bins. Got any guest list? No. What time we on? Louder! What’s that buzz? Play the old stuff. Play the new stuff. Plenty of signed T-shirts in a broken cardboard box. Love the band, love the crew. And no one gets paid.”
Listen to ‘Medicine’ below.
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