Gothenburg artist sir Was, aka Joel Wästberg, has announced his new album Holding On To A Dream is set for release Sept 20 via Memphis Industries. The lead single from the album ‘Deployed’, which features Little Dragon, is streaming online now. sir Was is set to play a UK tour this November.

Speaking about the how the collaboration with Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano came to be, sir Was said "Me and Little Dragon go way back. I’ve been hanging out with them for many years, and they were very supportive with my first album. One day I was working in my small studio room, and Little Dragon were one floor up. Yukimi knocked on the door and asked if she could listen. I played her some of my songs and she said, “This is great, go out and talk to the world!”.”

Beautifully bright and sincere, ’Deployed’ is a perhaps the most vivid pop song that sir Was has released to-date. “Just when I thought I was done with this new album the song came along and took me by surprise. Straight away I could hear Yukimi’s voice on it so I just felt like I had to ask her to do it. I sent her the track and she said she’d love to sing something on it, so I went to their studio and she wrote a few lines based on my verse and the chorus of the song. It all happened so fast and then we had this song. It was really fun.”

See sir Was live:

19 November - Picture House Social, Sheffield

20 November - Headrow House, Leeds

21 November - YES, Manchester

22 November - Broadcast, Glasgow

23 November - Cluny2, Newcastle

24 November - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

25 November - Hy Brasil, Bristol

27 November – Scala London

In October of 2017 Boy Harsher released the four-track EP, Country Girl. It was released by Ascetic House as a one-time vinyl pressing of 600 copies, which sold out in a month. Now they have announced a deluxe reissue, entitled Country Girl Uncut, which includes four previously unreleased tracks for a total of eight songs. Country Girl Uncut will be released on October 11 via the band’s own Nude Club label and Ascetic House, and is digitally available now.

To coincide with the announcement, Boy Harsher deliver the unreleased track ‘Send Me a Vision’, complete with a music video/visual ode to Berlin. Inspired by Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire, ‘Send Me a Vision’ follows the unassuming guardian angel (Cameron Findlay, Kontravoid) through the streets of Berlin. He acts as a passive observer to various troubled characters in the city, hoping his silent presence can have a positive effect. His cryptic observations mainly focus on a young troubled woman (Sally Dige), and her preoccupation with jumping off a rooftop. The spirit of the city is actualized via the character of the Dancer who flickers along with the beat and channels the fast-paced exuberance of Berlin.

Boy Harsher’s Augustus Muller directed and edited the video, saying: “For me the song was so tragically lonely. I interpreted Jae's lyrics to be a cry for help from someone in a desperate situation.” The video was shot on black and white 16mm by Christopher Gorski, in and around Kreuzberg, Berlin. Muller jokes “If Wings of Desire was Wim Wenders’ love letter to Berlin, this is our postcard.”

Country Girl marked a distinct sonic shift for Boy Harsher; the EP was the first group of songs written in their new home in rural Massachusetts. The novel isolation of the Northeast gave Jae and Augustus plenty of time to write and explore new sounds, while reminiscing about their time in the South. The move also put the band within driving distance of New York City, which was another important factor in their progression. The band attributes partial influence on Country Girl to their frequent shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn; playing parties like Nothing Changes and Lost Enterprises gave them access to a vibrant new music community. From industrial to noise table techno, Boy Harsher was enamoured by the raw sound and fearless attitude of the artists and crowds alike. The sound of Country Girl is defined by these two worlds that the band existed within - their quiet, modest life in small town Massachusetts and their speed-fuelled weekends in New York.

Boy Harsher live dates w/ HANTE:

NOVEMBER:

12  London, UK - Scala

13  Brighton, UK - The Haunt