TV Priest take on news media and our ‘post-truth’ world on new song ‘Press Gang’
TV Priest have released a new single, ‘Press Gang’, lifted from their forthcoming debut album, ‘Uppers’.
The London band turn a critical eye to the news cycle and mass media on ‘Press Gang’. On the second verse, vocalist Charlie Drinkwater intones, “Thrust a paper in your hand / Went for a walk through an ink-stained land / You’re better off uninformed / High, high praise indeed!”
According to a press release, the song was inspired by Drinkwater’s grandfather, who worked as a photojournalist and war correspondent on Fleet Street from the 1950s to 1980s.
‘Press Gang’ is about the media’s changing role in disseminating information and ideas, and also “how the prevailing narrative that the ‘Death of Print Media’ has contributed to a ‘post-truth’ world”.
“It’s about Charlie’s grandad, news cycles, truth, chip paper, and information,” TV Priest wrote on Instagram. “It’s also pretty loud.”
‘Press Gang’ arrived with an accompanying music video, directed by Joe Wheatley, which depicts the band as 20th-century business executives. Watch it below:
‘Uppers’ was initially scheduled for release last November, but has since been pushed to February 5 through Sub Pop. The record will also include the songs ‘Decoration’ and ‘This Island’.
“It’s a record that embraces uncertainty, that renewed friendships, and helped us through some strange and tough times, we hope it can do the same for you,” the band said in a social media post.
The band will celebrate the release of ‘Uppers’ with a socially distanced show at London’s Oslo on February 6. “We’re hoping we can be out and about around the rest of the country to play for you as soon as it’s safe to do so and will keep you posted on our late spring tour,” they added.
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