Seatbelts have released their first track of 2019, Spanish Songs; the second single from their forthcoming EP, Please Slow Down. The new single is a thrillingly upbeat and lively ode to the idea of a country. A gonzo-snapshot of a way of life, which brings the band’s avant-pop influences to the fore.
By using a male-female vocal arrangement, which dances from English to Spanish, Seatbelts tell of the relationships formed between people and place. As with their previous release, multi-instrumentalist, Nick Branton (Dead Hedge Trio) joins Seatbelts, this time providing bright, mariachi-inspired cornet lines, over the excited “ba ba ba ba ba!” of the backing-vocalists.
This joyful experimentation makes for layered, energetic choruses, showcasing an openness to the potential chaos of collaborative-songwriting. A process which Seatbelts’ seem eager to explore. Towards the end of the track, we hear the lines: “Hay algo real, hay algo fácil, there’s something out there I’d like to find,” sung over drummer, Alex Quinn’s hypnotic beat, and Abi Woods’ (keyboard, vocals) sun-searching synth lines. It’s in this moment when we begin to feel the pull – the sizzling heat, the Spanish skies, the Sangría-drenched dream.
As for the video, vocalist James Madden had this to say: “We wanted to try to highlight the numerous vocal lines/melodies going on, especially as the song is sung in two languages. We also wanted to try to get the feeling of separation, or like long-distance relationships, but with place rather than people. Abi Woods (vocals/keyboards) had recently been to Spain on holiday and brought back this cool VHS footage, so we used that and some live stuff and other bits. We filmed a lot of it in Ryans living room. Ryans girlfriend and her twin sister sing the Spanish parts, so we weren’t short of faces to include in the video, which is why we arrived at the overlay stuff.”
Seatbelts will be playing 31st March at BBC 6 Music Festival fringe closing party at Phase One. All details can be found here.
