THE BETHS RELEASE THE TITLE TRACK FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING ALBUM THE TENDER AND DYNAMIC ‘EXPERT IN A DYING FIELD’

THE BETHS RELEASE

THE TITLE TRACK FROM

THEIR FORTHCOMING

ALBUM THE TENDER AND DYNAMIC

‘EXPERT IN A DYING FIELD’


 

Lifted from their forthcoming third album of the same name, The Beths today release the single ‘Expert In A Dying Field’. “How does it feel to be an expert in a dying field? How do you know it’s over when you can’t let go?” lead songwriter and vocalist Elizabeth Stokesasks, as she introduces her listener to the overarching theme of the record.

 

 

Of the track, Stokes explains: “In the course of knowing a person you accumulate so much information: their favourite movies, how they take their tea, how to make them laugh, how that makes you feel. And when relationships between people change, or end, all that knowledge doesn’t just disappear.” This notion is succinctly encapsulated in the song’s chorus, “Love is learned over time ‘til you’re an expert in a dying field.” 

 

Expert In A Dying Field’ is a sonic departure from last month’s lead single ‘Silence Is Golden’, with its driving guitars, propulsive drums, and acerbic lyrics. Densely littered with melodic hooks and the incisive phrasing that Stokes has become known for, the driving verses of ‘Expert In A Dying Field’ intentionally contrast with a restrained, delicate chorus. Here, the stripped-back instrumentation acutely hones in on Stokes’ emotive vocals. The accompanying video, directed by Frances Carter, honours this intimacy and vulnerability. Carefully placed relics and symbolic totems strewn about a charming, white-washed home evoke a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality. While Stokes sings directly to the camera, her bandmates play their instruments and sing backing vocals in various parts of the home, surrounded by treasures laden with meaning and memory. It’s an evocative series of vignettes that perfectly match the song’s bittersweet themes and culminates in a joyful, heart-stirring full band performance that shows off The Beths’ unparalleled four-part vocal harmonies.

 

The Beths

The Beths above

 

Most of the album was recorded at guitarist Jonathan Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Road in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (the Māori-language name for Auckland, New Zealand) towards the end of 2021. However, as the year drew to a close, so too did cities across the country. Interrupted by the pervasive constraints of a months-long national lockdown, the band traded notes from afar, with each band member writing and fleshing out independent arrangements from their homes. The album process culminated in a chaotic three-day studio stint in Los Angeles, as the band wrapped up their first North American tour in more than two years. Expert In A Dying Field is a triumphant, spell-binding body of work that shows off Stokes’ insightful, brutally honest lyricism and the tight-knit foursome’s exceptional musicality.

THE BETHS

AUSTRALIA & AOTEAROA TOUR DATES  AUSTRALIA Thu 15 Sep 22 – 170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC Fri 16 Sep 22 – Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW Sat 17 Sep 22 – The Triffid, Brisbane, QLD Tue 20 Sep 22 – The Gov, Adelaide, SA Wed 21 Sep 22 – Magnet House, Perth, WA  AOTEAROA Fri 23 Sep 22 – Opera House, Wellington, NZ Sat 24 Sep 22 – Theatre Royal, Nelson, NZ Fri 30 Sep 22 – James Hay Theatre, Christchurch, NZ Sat 1 Oct 22 – Glenroy, Dunedin, NZ Fri 7 Oct 22 – Auckland Town Hall, Auckland, NZ  Tickets on sale now at thebeths.com

 

The Beths cover

 

The Beths – ‘Expert In A Dying Field’Out now through Ivy League Records Listen/watch hereThe Beths – Expert In A Dying FieldOut 16 September 2022 through Ivy League RecordsPre-order hereTracklisting: 1. Expert In A Dying Field2. Knees Deep3. Silence Is Golden4. Your Side5. I Want To Listen6. Head In The Clouds7. Best Left8. Change In The Weather9. When You Know You Know10. A Passing Rain11. I Told You That I Was Afraid12. 2am

 


 

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