Kicking 2023 right off as they mean to go on, Glasgow band Arcade State have dropped their biggest ballad to date with the sensational single The Dark.
The second single release from their upcoming debut EP A Slave to the Waves, The Dark is an intensively driven melodic guitar ballad with all the catchy metaphorical hooks the Glasgow band have come to be known for in their short but active time together.
Influenced by fellow Scottish bands such as Twin Atlantic and Biffy Clyro, the band originally formed in 2019 have seen some line-up changes throughout the years, the most recent saw the band go from a five to a four piece following the departure of keyboard/synth player, Scott Frank. Reflecting on the change, the band sound optimistic about the future and Cairan (lead vocals) told us.
Our direction will of course move towards guitar driven music but this is exactly the direction we wanted to go anyway so we’re looking forward to playing some new songs to showcase this direction change.
Ciaran (vocals)
Unlike its predecessor Lost Boy, The Dark takes a softer approach. The song opens with a gentle acoustic strumming charmingly harmonised by with the addition of an airy woodwind synth which is then met with Ciaran’s haunting echo of ‘I wanna be the one to walk you home in the dark’. It’s a slow building ballad but Jordan’s distinguished beat carries the song’s momentum to a climatic chorus which showcases Ciaran’s versatile vocal range to a fresh superior level.
If the first two singles from The Slave to The Waves EP are anything to go by, there is no question this will be the most important thing the band have laid down yet. Arcade State are a tight band who demonstrate a high level of professionalism both in recording and on stage and this single is a perfect example of how much they are capable of. The EP signifies a new chapter for Arcade State as they told us.
This EP is the end of an era for arcade state, we wanted to create 4 songs that would showcase our versatility as a band and also introduce more of the direction we want to go with songs like The Lost Boy and the title track A Slave to the waves so as much as it’s an end to an Era it’s the start of something special for us and we aim to kick on from it.
Ciaran (vocals)
You can catch Arcade State live in action during a string of dates across the UK soon ending the boys headlining a special EP launch show at Glasgow’s King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on April 15th which promises to be a night to remember.
Words by Anne Kelly