Melbourne-based indie rock outfit Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever became disillusioned after returning home from a lengthy global tour that promoted their debut record, Hope Downs. Rather than letting it get them down, the band turned to introspection and morphed the uneasy feeling into music. The result is their upcoming effort Sideways To New Italy. The band announced their sophomore record with the noisy single “She’s There” alongside a driving visual.
Directed by Nick McKinlay in the band’s hometown of Melbourne, the visual shakily follows guitarist Joe White on a run through a town. In a statement, the band described the feeling they were aiming to represent in the visual: “We tried to convey that feeling in a dream where you need to be somewhere, and you don’t really know why, but you are determined to overcome every obstacle to get there,” they said.
Guitarist Fran Keaney added in a statement that they want their new music to sound distinctly hopeful: “I wanted to write songs that I could use as some sort of bedrock of hopefulness to stand on, something to be proud of,” says Keaney. “A lot of the songs on the new record are reaching forward and trying to imagine an idyll of home and love.” Bassist Joe Russo continued, “We tried to make these little nods to our friends and loved ones, to stay loyal to our old selves.”
Listen to “She’s There” above. Below, find Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s Sideways To New Italy album art and tracklist.
1. “The Second Of The First”
2. “Falling Thunder”
3. “She’s There”
4. “Beautiful Steven”
5. “The Only One”
6. “Cars In Space”
7. “Cameo”
8. “Not Tonight”
9. “Sunglasses At The Wedding”
10. “The Cool Change”
Sideways To New Italy is out 5/6 via Sub Pop. Pre-order it here.