Shoegaze pioneers Ride announce new LP, ‘Interplay’, new single ‘Peace Sign’ out now

(Photo by Cal McIntryre) The shoe gaze act Ride have announced a seventh studio album, “Interplay”, out 29th March via Wichita Recordings / PIAS. The new record is the Oxford four piece’s third since reforming in 2014. The announcement is accompanied by the album’s first single, “Peace Sign”, out now.

The album is the follow-up to 2017’s “Weather Diaries” and 2019’s “This Is Not A Safe Place”. The new album was produced by the band with Richie Kennedy and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer inspired by 80’s pop bands like Tears For Fears, Talk Talk and early U2.

Thematically, it pairs classic Ride lyrical hallmarks such as escapism, dreams, and the dissatisfaction of modern life with a sense of resilience and perseverance that come from imploding, then reforming and finding a way forward to their second peak, as guitarist and singer Andy Bell explains: “This album has taken a long time to make, and has seen the band go through a lot of ups and downs; maybe the most of any Ride album. But it has seen us come through the process as a band in a good place, feeling able to shake off the past, and ready to celebrate the combined musical talents that brought us together in the first place.”

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Speaking on the new “Peace Sign” single, Andy says: “‘Peace Sign’ started life as a jam recorded at Marks’ OX4 studio, in early 2021. We called it ‘Berlin’ and initially it featured Loz on drums, Steve on bass and myself on a prophet 5 synth. About six months later I got hold of the recording and wrestled it into song form. Lyrically I was inspired by a film called ‘The Alpinist’ about the visionary free climber Marc-André Leclerc. Soon after I’d finished working on the song I remember I was raving to my bandmates about Leclerc at OX4, and a good memory of that time was us all watching that film at Mark’s studio.”

Here’s a video for “Peace Sign” to check out.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff Chief editor

Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.

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