New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Ahead of the release of their ambitious second album Hope Rituals on 28th August 2020, London cosmic punks WACO have shared a new single today titled 'Learn To Live Again' available to stream now via all good digital platforms.
The single comes with yet another great video from the band—filmed and edited by Paul Blue at True Media and guest-starring South London punks Werecats vocalist Pippa—that turns the Back To The Future III plot on its head, as a plucky time-travelling cowboy finds himself transplanted to 21st century London.
"This is a Western-inspired disco rock song about self-belief," comments front man Jak Hutchcraft. "We took as much inspiration from Sergio Leone as we did from Hot Chocolate. The lyrics tell a story of empowerment—a story about breaking the invisible, but very real, chains which hold us back. The road is long and the journey is tough, but we must carry on. Let this be one of the many freedom songs that accompany us as we travel together."
Across the course of the album campaign, and in keeping with their message of positive activism, the band have been donating all single profits to charity and have so far helped to raise hundreds of pounds for Mind - The Mental Health Charity, The Stephen Lawrence Trust, The George Floyd Memorial Fund, and NHS Charities Together.
To celebrate the release of Hope Rituals, the band recently announced UK tour dates from September through to December including selected dates with The Young Hearts, dubbed 'The Freedom Tour', and a much-anticipated London Underworld show with Wonk Unit
Hope Rituals is released August 28th 2020 on Venn Records
WACO Live Dates:
30th September - Guildford, The Boileroom *
1st October - Cheltenham, Frog & Fiddle *
2nd October - Cobblestones, Bridgwater *
3rd October - Swindon, Level III *
4th October - London, 229 Venue *
22nd November - London, The Underworld +
12th December - London, The Black Heart
* w/ The Young Hearts
+ w/ Wonk Unit
WACO are:
Welshy - Drums/Vox James - Bass/Vox
Tom - Guitar/Vox
Jak - Vox/Guitar
Originating from the weirder nooks of the UK (North Yorkshire, Jersey and Teesside) WACO are ably fronted by Hutchraft, their enigmatic 'high priest' frontman, himself a gonzo journalist and broadcast regular for the likes of VICE and Kerrang! Magazine, and now presenter of the Human Magic podcast: a series of conversations with creatives, thinkers, believers and dreamers, centred around ideas and experiences, helping to navigate this weird and wonderful life.
Their forthcoming second album Hope Rituals was produced by Steve Sears Jr at Monolith Studios, London, is the first of the band's material to feature new bassist, James Robinson. He joined the band after the tragic loss of their dear friend Chris Cowley in 2018. While much of their previous album Human Magic served as a method of healing for the band, their latest offering looks optimistically to the future and a hope of better days.
A roaring slice of modern punk rock from one of the UK's most exciting and experimental punk bands, constantly pushing the boundaries of the genre, WACO are in a league of their own when it comes to defining exactly what punk music can be in the 21st century.
Displaying their knack for raw storytelling and good vibes through their early EP's—Deathless (2017), Uprise (2016), Sundown (2015)—and their debut album Human Magic (2019), the band have earned praise from the likes of LOUDER, Kerrang! Magazine, UPSET Magazine, DORK Magazine, Discovered Magazine and Punktastic, alongside radio support from BBC Radio One DJs Zane Lowe, Huw Stephens, Phil Taggart and Dan P Carter, and Planet Rock Radio.
