William The Conqueror Share New Single 'The Puppet and the Puppeteer'
Taken from their forthcoming album Excuse Me While I Vanish, out July 28th on Chrysalis Records.
By: Michael Major May. 10, 2023
UK indie/rock trio William The Conqueror have unveiled today their new single "The Puppet and the Puppeteer."
Taken from their forthcoming album Excuse Me While I Vanish, out July 28th on Chrysalis Records, the track is the follow-up to last month's single "Somebody Else." Produced by the band in a playground of vintage gear and mixed by Barny Barnicott (Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender, Kasabian), the ten tracks on Excuse Me While I Vanish marry earworm tunes with insistent, imperious, soaring rock shapes, punctuated by chorus hooks that are simultaneously nuanced and anthemic.
"'The Puppet and the Puppeteer' could be a Jekyll and Hyde or Frankenstein's monster story-about wrestling with or losing control of your creation-who controls whom," explains frontman Ruarri Joseph. "I definitely feel like William has the upper hand sometimes." Harry and Nae add, "It's a favourite for us in our live shows. It deserves to be played loud, on a big sound system. You can bring the hustle, the mosh and the lighter sway to this party."
Excuse Me While I Vanish very nearly didn't happen. Following the imposition of lockdown restrictions, Joseph found himself cocooned at home in Cornwall, ruminating on an uncertain creative future, watching on as his wife Mandy, a valiant mental health social worker, engaged with the all-too-real dilemmas of the pandemic-riven here and now. Her example motivated Joseph to become a temporary care worker, an experience which would provide renewed focus and influence the songwriting on the new album.
"My wife was insomniac for the first six months of lockdown, which made it impossible for me to moan or grieve the fact that everything I'd been working on for the last five years had come to a standstill. It was a much-needed perspective and made me realise what a selfish undertaking William had been - navel-gazing with my head in the clouds when what people needed was boots firmly on the ground, preferably on the feet of someone like Mandy."
William The Conqueror's fourth album finds the indie-rock trio firing on all cylinders as Joseph confronts the thin line between creativity and madness, inspired by compassion for the real-life angels of the world. Joseph's compelling semi-spoken vocals and swamp-blues-Seattle-scuzz guitars are propelled by the rhythm section of Naomi Holmes (bass) and Harry Harding (drums) as Excuse Me While I Vanish delivers an effortlessly winning blend of melody and ensemble dynamics, the most accomplished and undeniable William The Conqueror album to date.
Tour Dates:
05/11 - Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05/12 - Perranporth, UK @ Tunes in the Dunes Festival
05/26 - Catton Hall, UK @ Bearded Theory Festival
06/20 - Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall*
06/21 - Berlin, DE @ Huxley's*
06/23 - Vienna, AT @ Arena*
06/25 - Munich, DE @ Backstage Werk*
06/26 - Zurich, CH @ Kaufleuten*
06/28 - Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage*
10/06 - Falmouth, UK @ Princess Pavilion
10/10 - Exeter, UK @ Cavern Club
10/11 - Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
10/13 - London, UK @ Lower Third
10/14 - Bedford, UK @ Esquires
10/15 - Sheffield, UK @ Yellow Arch Studios
10/17 - Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete's
10/18 - Newcastle, UK @ Cluny 2
10/19 - Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
10/22 - Birmingham, UK @ Hare and Hounds
* w/ Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Credit: @WetheDee
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