Squid have announced their debut album, Bright Green Field. It’s set for release on May 7 via Warp. They’ve also shared the lead single, ‘Narrator’, which features vocals from Martha Skye Murphy and comes with a music video directed by Felix Green. Check it out below, along with the album’s cover artwork and tracklist.
The LP was written in drummer/vocalist Oliver Judge’s local pub and recorded in producer Dan Carey’s London basement studio. “This album has created an imaginary cityscape,” Judge said in a statement. “The tracks illustrate the places, events and architecture that exist within it. Previous releases were playful and concerned with characters, whereas this album is darker and more concerned with place—the emotional depth of the music has deepened.”
Discussing ‘Narrator’ in particular, the band commented: ““Narrator” was inspired by the 2019 film A Long Day’s Journey Into Night. The song follows a man who is losing the distinction between memory, dream, and reality, and how you can often mold your memories of people to fit a narrative that benefits your ego. Martha Skye-Murphy made the point that the unreliable narrator is, more often than not, a male who wishes to portray women as submissive characters in their story. After some discussions with Martha she thought it’d be a good idea that she play the part of the woman wanting to break free from the dominating story the male has set. ”
The song’s accompanying visual marks Squid’s first official music video. “I had wanted to make a video about the virtual creation process for some time,” Green explained. “I often think this ‘behind the digital curtain’ part of 3D design looks more interesting than the final finished product since it conveys a process and an authorship. When I was approached to pitch on ‘Narrator’ I immediately thought it could be the perfect match for this very visual idea.”
Before signing to Warp in 2020, Squid put out their debut EP Town Centre in 2019.
Bright Green Field Cover Artwork:
Bright Green Field Tracklist:
1. Resolution Square
2. G.S.K
3. Narrator [ft. Martha Skye Murphy]
4. Boy Racers
5. Paddling
6. Documentary Filmmaker
7. 2010
8. The Flyover
9. Peel St
10. Global Groove
11. Pamphlets
