Altsounds - The Rumble Strips Announce Comeback Single

The Rumble Strips return on June 29thwith Mark Ronson produced comeback single, Not The Only Person. Upon receiving a copy, Zane Lowe instantly made it his ‘Hottest Record in the World’, declaring it: “an evolution of sound… Almost a Phil Spector-ish Wall of Sound. A fantastic song… we’re completely blown away”.

Backed by huge orchestration, the song’s summery vibes mask some of Charlie’s finest lyrics to date. You’d be forgiven for presuming lines such as “you’re not only person to get it wrong / it’s all right” are aimed at a loved one, whereas actually the song is Charlie’s apology to two muggers who attacked him and his wife. The assault failed when Mrs Waller chased the startled muggers away and the song is Charlie’s (perhaps empathetic) apology to them for messing with his wife, concluding with him offering to “come back tomorrow night alone /and you can take anything that you want”.

The band release their second album ‘Welcome to The Walk Alone’ on July 13th, through Island Records. Produced by Mark Ronson, ‘Welcome to The Walk Alone’ is the extraordinary follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed 2007 debut, ‘Girls and Weather’. Having recruiting life-long friend Sam Mansbridge as their permanent bass player, The Rumble Strips has swelled to a five piece.

Recalling the widescreen sounds of Phil Spector and Scott Walker, coupled with 1940's wartime melodies and early 1960s European soul (Sam also brought a love of French chanson music, introducing the band to Jacques Brel and Charles Asnavor), ‘Welcome to The Walk Alone’ is a timeless record that sounds like nothing else released this year.

Recruiting Owen Pallet - famed for his work with Arcade Fire and The Last Shadow Puppets – to orchestrate the album has proved a masterstroke. Pallet’s interpretations of the band’s arrangements lift The Rumble Strips’ distinctive sound to new levels, adding a sense of golden-era grandeur, refined by Ronson’s production.

Live

July 15th - Wilton Hall, album launch show

The Rumble Strips are:

Charles Waller – Vox / Guitar
Matthew Wheeler - drums
Henry Clark – keys / trumpet
Thomas Gorbutt – Sax / bass
Sam Mansbridge - Bass/ Percussion