PHOTOGRAPHY Eddie Whelan
In the late 2010s, a mix of classically-trained and self-taught musicians from Cambridge came together to form Black Country, New Road and give life to a unique and genre-defying fusion of post-rock, post-punk, jazz, and art rock.
After regular gigs at The Windmill, Mercury prize nominated first release For The First Time (2021), art-rock/chamber pop sophomore Ants From Up There (2022) and critically acclaimed live recording collection Live At Bush Hall (2023), the band returns with their new album Forever Howlong.
Their first since the departure of lead vocalist and guitarist Isaac Wood in 2022, the record spans 11 tracks and sees the band embracing a new, more collaborative dynamic, with vocals and songwriting now shared between the female members of the band: Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery, and May Kershaw. Produced by James Ford – best known for his work with Fontaines D.C. and Arctic Monkeys – Forever Howlong continues the group’s signature eclecticism in a cleverly refreshing tone, weaving complex arrangements, unique and explosive climaxes via an array of unexpected instruments including banjo, bass clarinet, recorder, and harpsichord.
The profound friendship shared by the members of Black Country, New Road intertwines here with their propensity to adapt to changing circumstances to form a distinctive, ambitious piece of work, constantly finessing their creative approach and touching everything from folk, baroque pop, and hints of alternative rock.
Friendship and mutual adaptability
Both sonically and thematically, Forever Howlong is brimming with intricacies and depth, and it’s clear that the warm and congenial dynamic between the musicians is to thank. Throughout their writing and recording process, the band skillfully harnessed the strength that comes in numbers, supporting each other through songwriting and composing the tracks.
“I think we work well together, and because there were three different songwriters and singers, it meant that we took turns on having a really intense day,” Georgia smiles. “There’s something nice about having lots of people in a band, because you can all take the weight of the project at hand, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can take a seat and we’ve got it, we’ve got you.”
As Tyler, Georgia, and May alternated deftly writing each individual track, a sort of domino effect began materialising, with each composer drawing inspiration from one another’s songs and accordingly shaping their own. Whimsical chamber-folk opener ‘Besties’ is a testament to the natural chemistry and flow that the members and the album alike displays, as Georgia explains how it was written in response to fellow songwriter May’s song ‘The Big Spin’. “The vibe of it really inspired me, and the way she approached it was very chilled out. She just came in asking ‘I’ve got this little section, what do we think?’” she recalls. “We just riffed on it and came together in a very easy and carefree way, so it inspired me to write ‘Besties’ with the same sort of feeling in it.”
There’s something nice about having lots of people in a band, because you can all take the weight of the project at hand, and if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can take a seat and we’ve got it, we’ve got you.
Zooming in and out
Although incredibly nuanced and extensive, Forever Howlong also achieves focus and cohesion, channeling the distinctive voices and experiences of each songwriter into a unified and organic story. “For me, [the album] feels big and small,” points out drummer Charlie. “The approach of it is maximalist and really expansive in so many ways, but also, it’s focusing in on the mundane, and the everyday, or the microscopic, in a way which I find really cool.”
The spirit of individualism and attention to detail flourishing into collectiveness and universality is what ultimately underpins and defines the essence of the album. The structure of ‘Two Horses’ embodies this motif as it morphs from a delicate ensemble of acoustic sounds to a mesmerizing folk and jazz fusion. “We went through a period of arranging it in a more theatrical way, further away from where it was at the start when she brought it to the group,” explains Charlie. “It wasn’t really working, so we stripped it back, and it just made so much more sense as a single narrative, focused initially and then expansive at the end.”
Travelling circus
If we were to imagine Forever Howlong as a piece of visual media, the first instances to come to mind would be a travelling circus or an old Vaudevillian theatre. “You put your own different sets onto it, and it’s a caricature of players that drive in, set up and take it down,” laughs Charlie.
The distinctive musicianship sported by each band member comes into play throughout the album, forging a kaleidoscopic spectacle that appears as undivided as it is layered. Each song could be its own show, complete with dextrous musical acrobatics and a chaotic but somehow balanced myriad of instruments: the flamboyant pianos in ‘Salem Sisters’ paired with the whimsical harmonies of the vocals and harpsichord, the thrilling saxophone and string arrangements in ‘Nancy Takes The Night’, and the exhilarating orchestral crescendo in ‘For The Cold Country’ that feels like it sprouts spontaneously, perfectly portraying the musical adventurousness of the band.
Literature classics
Some pieces played a subtle yet significant role in shaping the overtone of Forever Howlong, particularly for Charlie. Before the band began writing, he found himself immersed in Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem and Play It As It Lays, after a recommendation from Georgia. “We were in California for quite a while in April and May, writing the album and playing for the first time on the road,” he recalls. “And there’s something really evocative about reading a book that you really enjoy, that situates you within the landscape.”
Later, during the album’s recording sessions in the English countryside, he experienced something similar with Wuthering Heights, reading it “at the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn.” While these books didn’t directly influence the album’s sound, they provided an immersive backdrop – an ever-changing atmosphere that subtly seeped into the band’s creative energy.
Amorphous cohesion
Black Country, New Road’s creative process is ever-changing, with constant shifts in direction that highlight both the continuity and the unpredictability of their music. This album, unlike previous records, thrives on its fluidity, where diverse influences and sounds collide, yet the consistency of their musicianship provides a steady through line. “I think that change is highlighted so consistently throughout this record,” notes Charlie. “But it’s the consistency that carries the entire thing through, which for me is really interesting and makes the creative process really rewarding.”
This constant evolution is balanced by a sense of continuity, with the band finding a stable thread despite the shifts in musical direction. “Particularly on this album where there was so much stuff to draw from, it could be weird and slightly scary at times, trying to find those lines,” he continues. “But ultimately, when you do, that’s actually sick and exciting.”
For Georgia, the process was a bit tricky but equally thrilling: “Lyrically, everything’s very different. We did speak about trying to make it cohesive lyrically, but I think that was out of order for all of us,” she explains. “It really feels like a collection of songs to me, a collection of different things, rather than a conceptual album.”
In the end, Forever Howlong is the sound of individuality fusing into a collective identity. It’s a record where every shift, every twist, feels intentional, even if it’s a little bit chaotic. And somehow, that chaos creates a beautiful kind of unity.
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