Melbourne’s resident indie-soul champs Saskwatch have just given us a tease of what’s to come on their upcoming fourth album Manual Override in the slinky new track ‘Gemini’.
It’s been a two year break since the wonderfully heartbroken Sorry I Let It Come Between Us, and the now-six-piece outfit have metamorphosised into a band who that vulnerability with them, while tapping in to the bright, joyous soul that captivated us to begin with.
Their latest track walks that line brilliantly, its string-laden backing balanced with the upbeat urgency of sharp percussion, and the subtle menace of what it means to be “terrified of everyone”.
“‘Gemini’ is a song about being caught in the middle,” says guitarist/keyboardist Liam McGorry. “Between inner thoughts and an outer reality, two personalities in one body, between fate and intervention.”
As he explains, the track led the way for the band as they pieced the record together, although they needed some help from a mate to really bring it all together.
“In a lot of ways, ‘Gemini’ really paved the way for the sound of Manual Override. One of the first tracks to be recorded in the studio, it was feeling and sounding great, however, something wasn’t quite clicking…
“The missing piece came in the form of our friend and ex-Saskwatch member Sam Boon, who arranged the soaring strings on the song, which became part of the overall sound for Manual Override!”
While some were able to get a sneak peek at the new album at a couple of sold-out preview shows recently, the rest of us won’t have to wait much longer to hear it, as it drops on August 4 through Grow Yourself Up. It’s available for digital pre-order now, while physical copies can be found right here.
‘Gemini’ is out on all streaming services tomorrow, but for now, you can give it a listen below.
