Shoegaze legends Ride announce new album and share new single

12 January 2024

Ride went through a lot of "ups and downs" making their upcoming studio album, 'Interplay'.

Shoegaze legends Ride announce new album and share new single

Former Oasis rocker Andy Bell's 90s' shoegaze group - completed by Mark Gardener, Laurence 'Loz' Colbert and Steve Queralt - reformed in 2014, and the new LP will mark their third studio effort since then, following 2017’s 'Weather Diaries' and 2019’s 'This Is Not A Safe Place'.

Fans can check out the blistering lead single, ‘Peace Sign', with the full album set to drop on March 29.

Expect "frenzied guitar attacks, hypnotic grooves and dreamy melodic hooks of their early work and setting it to a more expansive sonic template, inspired by 80s' pop gems like Tears For Fears, Talk Talk and early U2."

Andy explained how they had to "shake off the past" to be in the "good place" they are in now.

He said: “This album has taken a long time to make, and has seen the band go through a lot of ups and downs; maybe the most of any Ride album. But it has seen us come through the process as a band in a good place, feeling able to shake off the past, and ready to celebrate the combined musical talents that brought us together in the first place.”

On what inspired the new song, he added: “‘Peace Sign’ started life as a jam recorded at Marks’ OX4 studio, in early 2021. We called it ‘Berlin’ and initially it featured Loz on drums, Steve on bass and myself on a Prophet 5 synth. About six months later I got hold of the recording and wrestled it into song form. Lyrically I was inspired by a film called ‘The Alpinist’ about the visionary free climber Marc-André Leclerc. Soon after I’d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark’s studio.”

Andy began his impressive music career in 1988 with Ride before forming Hurricane #1 in 1996.

In 1999, Andy joined Oasis as their new bassist along with Gem on guitar following the departures of original members Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs and Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan.

The pair remained in the group until 2009 when Noel Gallagher quit following a backstage bust-up with his brother, singer Liam Gallagher.

Liam, Andy, Gem and then-Oasis drummer Chris Sharrock went on to form new band Beady Eye, but after two LPs they split in 2014.

Ride's 'Interplay' tracklist:

1.'Peace Sign'

2.'Last Frontier'

3.'Light in a Quiet Room'

4.'Monaco'

5.'I Came to See the Wreck'

6.'Stay Free'

7.'Last Night I Came Somewhere to Dream'

8.'Sunrise Chaser'

9.'Midnight Rider'