Following the release of Hot Handed in January, which featured on BBC Radio 6, the London-based trio are back with their new single, Gladness. An arresting song that ignites a feeling of peace and tranquillity.

From start to finish, the delicacy of the instrumental layering takes you on a wonderfully folk-inspired journey. After recently speaking with Since Deceivers’ songwriter Matt Glover, he mentioned how Gladness was inspired by a pair of long-distance walks across the north of England over several weeks in 2015 and 2018. The track is about finding a pocket of calm every now and then and recognising its importance. Glover says, “As we all probably experience from time to time, sometimes you have to go slower to go anywhere or achieve anything that’s worth seeking. Or not worth seeking – just finding a sense of the present when often we’re looking forward or back. A lot of stuff doesn’t really matter in the end, does it?”  

It marks their first collaboration with Shuta Shinoda (Daughter, Spiritualized, Haley Bonar) recorded live straight to tape at the Vintage Hackney Road Studios. Building on their signature layered style around Dom Main’s evocative cello, Glover’s unmistakable Yorkshire vocals, and the understated intricacy of Tim Davies electric guitar, the song is another bold statement about what 2020 has in store for folk music in the UK.

By Callum Cobb

Listen to Gladness below: