One of the standouts on Arab Strap‘s great As Days Get Dark (their first album in 15 years) is “Fable of the Urban Fox,” a song that shines a light on the racist treatment of immigrants against a backing that somehow successfully splits the difference between celtic folk and funky disco. The band have made a new version of the song to release as a single, as well as a chilling music video.

“When I wrote the lyrics for this in 2019, I was hoping its obvious allegorical message might not be relevant by the time it came out, but sadly it seems the lack of humanity in government and influence of rightwing media continues to prevail,” says Aidan Moffat. “We had a lot of good feedback for the album version, so it was suggested we release it as a single, but we felt it was a bit too long and attempted to trim it – but one thing led to another, and pretty soon it became a proper remix with new parts and drums, much like we did with ‘(Afternoon) Soaps’ back in the old days. So it’s the same song in a new outfit – a tighter fit for a new season, suitable for all occasions.”

The “Fable of the Urban Fox” video was directed by Rose Hendry and stars Fiona O’Shaugnessy as a woman who has done something terrible off-screen in the opening moments of the video. We’re not sure what, but as the camera spins around the vacant lot and time passes, we learn more as the tension and dread build. Says Hendry, “The music and lyrics in ‘Fable Of The Urban Fox’ are so emotive and visually rich. It’s dark and stormy but there’s also an overall sense of hope in amongst something which ends up violent in imagery. When I thought about a fox, I thought about someone trying to survive and someone with a dream. I thought about people who leave home for hope of a better life whether on the edge of existence or for something better than their current. Hope and dreams are what move people.”

You can watch the video for “Fable of the Urban Fox (Check/Fault Mix)” below.

Arab Strap have a few UK tour dates lined up for September. Those are listed below as well.

Arab Strap – September 2021 UK Tour Dates:
9/4 Manchester Manchester Academy 2
9/5 Dorset, End of The Road Festival
9/6 Birmingham The Mill
9/7 Bristol SWX
9/8 London Electric Ballroom
9/9 Newcastle upon Tyne Boiler Shop
9/10 Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom – SOLD OUT