London-based alt-rock band Wildernesses have unveiled their latest single, ‘Summertime, 1917’, ahead of their debut album Growth, out 27th March via Floodlit Recordings.
The new single explores love and loss, telling the story of two male soldiers in World War One, seen through the eyes of a modern narrator who discovers their love letters while renovating a deceased loved ones house.
The accompanying video is quintessential Wildernesses DIY, directed and filmed by vocalist Phillip Morris and guitarist Sam Howe. Phillip explains: “I filmed around my home town over six months, often jumping out of the car when the light was right or fog drifted across a field. Filming over time allowed contrasts between spring and winter, light and dark, linking to the lyric: ‘The back end of May, blossom was falling and you slipped from the present tense’.”
Sam contributed drone footage from Sussex during walks with his dogs, Mikey and Spud, adding a triumphant lift to the final chorus.
Vocalist Phillip Morris comments on the new single: “I based the lyrics on a poem I wrote the year after my mum died of Motor Neurone Disease (MND). I wanted to explore the conflicting feelings I had at that time, the process of acceptance, finding reasons that everything would be OK, even as death is final. Caring for her was a privilege that allowed me to know her more deeply but I also witnessed the cruel loss of movement that ended in her death.
“I never renovated her house but the imagery of reworking a space appealed to me. The song’s lyrics aimed to reflect on social issues in a literary way, rather than an overtly political way. We all know war is bad; my aim was to zoom in on two singular stories across time and make the listener feel them, rather than just consider a message.
“At the time of writing it I was working as a social worker at a hospice in Hull and wanted to capture the joy and pain of speaking with elderly patients. Ageism often goes unspoken and older generations have lived experiences that younger people can only imagine. I wanted to highlight the privilege of uncovering hidden stories that are real and untold.”
Pre-order Growth here: https://www.floodlitrecordings.com/pages/growth-preorde