Words: Bernadette Galbraith | Subbing: Joanne Clark
Sydney rockers Tonight Alive surprised fans this week with the release of a new single that brings them back to their rockier roots.
Set in the communal area of a toilet for the most part, Tonight Alive’s new music video shows signs of the guitars being amped up a notch, as we see an angsty Jenna McDougall climbing over sinks.
Fans were greeted with the release of a new single Temple, along with a brand new music video on Monday night. This announcement marks the 4th studio album from the band, which goes by the name Underworld. On Instagram lead vocalist, McDougall expressed her excitement sharing the album artwork that she helped to create.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaUm3gQAPxE/?hl=en&taken-by=nureality108
Tonight Alive, who recorded the soundtrack, The Edge for the Amazing Spider-Man 2 have taken a step back towards their older style on their new single. Their previous album, Limitless made waves in the mainstream market for singles such as Drive but there will be no “yeah, yeah, yeah’s” found in this chorus, as Temple is lyrically more ambitious and dark. In the opening verse, McDougall sings:
“I’m intoxicated by my depression/And I’m consumed by the fuel/That I might never find the answer/And the end just gets more near.”
Some have insinuated this return to their heavier roots has emerged due to the changing of record labels in April of this year, where they signed to American punk-rock label, Hopeless Records. Judging from initial reactions to Temple, this is definitely something that fans want to hear more of.
Loving this one guys! So proud of you and buzzing to see you guys again next year! 💚
— sophia (@sophiaalivee) October 16, 2017
Such an awesome song!! And lyrically really good. I love it! Excited for the rest of the album
— Halima (@Hal_Avril9) October 17, 2017
Devoted fans did not fail to notice that a certain member was missing from the music video though.
https://twitter.com/youthbom/status/920016968870256640
It was also announced on their Facebook page Monday night that guitarist, Whakaio Taahi has departed from the band. They said: “After 9 years on this path together, Whak has made the decision to step back from touring and pursue his own career in songwriting and producing outside of the band.”
If you haven’t already heard, tickets for a UK and European 2018 tour went on general sale this morning and you can still buy tickets from tonightalive.com.
Tickets for our UK and Europe tour are on sale NOW! You can bundle your ticket with a signed copy of #UNDERWORLD 📀🎫 https://t.co/BtIKu8dLWa pic.twitter.com/MZXrsDbDNH
— Tonight Alive (@TonightAlive) October 20, 2017
Temple is also available to listen to on Spotify now.