After inking a new deal with Xtra Mile Recordings earlier this year, Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun have dropped the brand’s new single ‘Reno’ whilst also revealing that the single is a harbinger of their LP , ‘Colour’, which is set to release on 28 July after the band’s 9-year-long hiatus.
Drawing on the band’s time away from the limelight, “Reno” addresses fresh starts, which seeks that flicker of faith amongst the wreckage of uncertainty and chaos. Commenting on the new track, Jim explained how the spirited indie/rock anthem 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.”
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.”
Drawing on pivotal milestones in Jim’s life since the band last put out music the better part of a decade ago, the new LP, ‘Colour’ grapples with the emotions the band’s frontman finds himself most at odds with. Coming to terms with the premature demise of a marriage, rediscovering himself as an individual and navigating his way through are all underlying issues that bubble beneath the surface of the record. 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.”
Back with a vengeance in 2023, the band are telling fans to stay tuned as they’ll have more news coming in the imminent future…
In the meantime you can stream “Reno” on all streming services here and enjoy the video below. You can also pre-save the “Colour” LP here.
