Ride by Cal McIntyre
British shoegaze legends Ride (Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence Colbert, and Steve Queralt) formed in Oxford in 1988, quickly becoming prominent in the burgeoning shoegaze scene. Known for their distinctive fusion of dreamy, noise-infused melodies and introspective lyrical daydreams, Ride garnered early recognition with their debut album Nowhere in 1990, a seminal work in the shoegaze genre. Subsequent albums like 1992’s Going Blank Again showcased their evolving sound. The band initially split up in 1996 but reunited in 2014, celebrating their enduring influence on alternative rock.
Now, Ride have announced a new album, Interplay, out March 29 (via Wichita/PIAS). Along with the announcement comes the vibrant, psychedelic single, Peace Sign. Bell explains that the song had been inspired by the film The Alpinist, about free climber Marc-André Leclerc. “Soon after I’d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark’s studio,’ he recalls.
Peace Sign is a bouncy, groovy journey of self-discovery and liberation with its euphoric sense of racing away from conformity and embracing instinct. The chorus, with its call for a peace sign and hands in the air, evokes a sense of unity and presence. We’re tired of this winter of our discontent: let’s embrace new experiences, reroute our direction toward satisfaction, and embrace the present moment as we immerse ourselves in self-realization and authenticity.
In a poignant reflection of the times, the sentiment resonates deeply, particularly in light of the band’s hiatus during the pandemic. Emblematic of a shared longing for connection and normalcy, Peace Sign captures the spirit of a world emerging from isolation, finding solace and unity in the communal experience of music.
Listen below:
“This album has taken a long time to make, and has seen the band go through a lot of ups and downs; maybe the most of any Ride album,” says Bell. “But it has seen us come through the process as a band in a good place, feeling able to shake off the past, and ready to celebrate the combined musical talents that brought us together in the first place.”
Interplay Tracklisting:
01 Peace Sign
02 Last Frontier
03 Light in a Quiet Room
04 Monaco
05 I Came to See the Wreck
06 Stay Free
07 Last Night I Came
08 Sunrise Chaser
09 Midnight Rider
10 Portland Rocks
11 Essaouira
12 Yesterday Is Just a Song
Ride, is currently on tour with The Charlatans. Fans can expect an exhilarating experience as these friends share the stage, offering a blend of their iconic sounds.
They will be performing at Emo’s in Austin, TX, on January 11th, followed by the House of Blues in Houston, TX, on January 12th. The tour continues with a performance at the House of Blues in New Orleans, LA, on January 14th, then at The Eastern in Atlanta, GA, on January 15th. They will be at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD, on January 17th, Webster Hall in New York, NY, on January 18th, and Union Transfer in Philadelphia, PA, on January 19th.
For more details and ticket information, visit thebandride.com.
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