Gearing up for good times

Shadow Palace

SHADOW Palace are back - armed with a new single - and they are determined to build on good early momentum this year.

The Oldham indie favourites - Harry Lavin, Ben Warwick, Dan Gaunt and new drummer Will Brooks - have had one or two dramas to contend with behind the scenes during the autumn and winter, but now they're right back "on it" and awesome new single, Speak My Mind - is due for release on Monday.

It's a haunting, deep tune - one previously recorded by Lavin's band the Velocetas - and it's a dig at elements of the current music scene and current political landscape.

Front-man Lavin, who is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a big fan of 2016 Mossley anarchists Cabbage, said: "It was one of the first songs I ever wrote when I was about 15, but we've recently realised is that now is probably the right time to bring it back.

"The song always had potential, but it never really saw the light of day.

"There is a Velocetas version out there somewhere, but we just think there's a plethora of music out there that doesn't say or mean anything to anyone.

"Speak My Mind has got historical content. On the artwork cover is a man called Mario Savio, who was part of the free speech movement in America in the late 60s.

"We thought that was kind of relevant for today really, because of all the suppression of what people are feeling and what they think.

"The democratisation of music in general has made everything so bland, so we just wanted to do a song that just very opinionated. Music is just too safe these days - the content just isn't there. Hopefully, Speak My Mind will change a few people's opinions. The more people that are with us and our ideas, the better I guess."

Shadow Palace returned this spring with a cracking gig at the Castle in Manchester and then supported Judas in Leeds, and the former show in particular gave the four Oldhamers a huge boost.

"To our surprise the Castle gig eventually sold out," Lavin said.

"For us to come back after six months of toil and trouble, and other things going on, we were delighted with that.

"We had been working hard behind the scenes, just to get the set back together and basically to get our heads back on it.

"But it was a great gig, and then we went over to Leeds and we were really pleased with the reception we got there.

"We've come back on a good level and we're happy."

With more gigs planned, and even a mini-tour idea possibly in the pipeline, Shadow Palace are focused on making that huge impact they have threatened on a number of occasions previously.

Lavin said: "We need to keep the momentum up this time. We've not always had that in the past due to line-up changes and personal problems.

"Things have got in the way of what we want to achieve, but we know that most gigs we play, we put on a good show.

"People enjoy watching us, and the more people that do watch us will realise that there is definitely potential.

"There are bands out there that are at a higher stage than us, and maybe achieved more, but I don't think a lot can touch us, in terms of what we can produce.

"There are too many bands out there that are faking it, and they will get found out eventually."

Strong words indeed.

* Check out Shadow Palace's up-to-date gig and release news on the band's Facebook page.