Flawes’ previous single, the punchy, defiant synth-pop anthem
‘Don’t Blame Me’, landed on a phenomenal 43 international
Apple Music New in Alternative playlists, while also earning fresh airplay at
BBC Introducing – a big follow-up to the bright-eyed pop rush of
‘Is It Any Wonder’. The trio continue to power towards the
June 9th release of their new album
‘One Step Back, Two Steps Forwards’ as they now unveil their new single
‘Tears Won’t Show’, along with its official video. Listen
HERE. Watch the official video
HERE.‘Tears Won’t Show’ showcases a twist upon Flawes’ core sound, their alt-pop roots now darkened with a soulful holler from frontman Josh ‘JC’ Carruthers, a swaggering bluesy undercurrent and a bombastic, brute-forced beat. Its mood is expressed in its lyrics too, with a simple but uncompromising message: we’ve tolerated enough, and now we’re calling time on your games.
‘Tears Won’t Show’ was written by Flawes – JC, Freddie Edwards and Josh ‘Huss’ Hussey – and was mixed by Jonathan Gilmore [The 1975, Twenty One Pilots, Beabadoobee].
Flawes commented, “This song is about being messed around by someone that doesn’t know what they want, they have all the power and they know it. The time has come to make a quick clean exit and ultimately I won’t be crying about it either. I love how moody this song is. It feels like a totally new sound for Flawes and brings an unexpected colour to the album.”
Directed by Callum Lloyd-James (Dylan, The Wombats, Pale Waves), the ‘Tears Won’t Show’ video also captures Flawes in a new aesthetic style. Blending a vehement band performance alongside arty body movement, it’s a pared-back video that finds strength in its simplicity – especially as the darker palette and shadowed lighting provide a classy style perfectly in tune with the song’s meaning.
‘Tears Won’t Show’ and ‘Is It Any Wonder’ showcase different extremes of the upcoming ‘One Step Back, One Steps Forward’ album. But despite their differing styles, it’s a cohesive set in which the band’s uplifting sound is powered by propulsive rhythms, yearning guitars and choruses that soar. Informed by an attitude that every moment matters, it’s a record which wastes no time in unveiling its direct yet nuanced pop charms. Not a single song lingers until the four-minute mark, creating a breathless momentum that feels like an instant greatest hits collection.
‘One Step Back, Two Steps Forward’ is available to pre-order or pre-save HERE.
After starting 2023 with a sold-out underplay show at The Grace in London, Flawes will celebrate the release of the album by playing an in-store show at Banquet Records on June 10th.
Flawes also recently launched their new podcast ‘Meet At The Hotel Bar’, in which they host a relaxed conversation with a variety of special guests from the music world, with the conversation focused on all of those larger-than-life “what happens on tour stays on tour” tales that every artist promises to keep a secret… until now. Having so far featured Chris Wolstenholme of Muse and Woody of Bastille, the boys will be joined by Ella Eyre for the next episode which premieres on March 13th.
