New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Following the whirlwind success of their third album 'Race Car Blues', Slowly Slowly have announced details on their follow up release 'Race Car Blues Extended Edition', out February 26. The double LP collection will feature the original Race Car Blues and a brand new record titled 'Race Car Blues - Chapter 2', limited to 500 copies worldwide. 'Race Car Blues Extended Edition' is available for pre-order now via 24Hundred.
The 12 tracks that form Chapter 2 complete the 'Race Car Blues' story and come almost a year to the day since the original album's release in February 2020. Where the writing sessions that spawned the first record also spawned Chapter 2, the two albums now join to form a whopping 24-track double album feature.
After premiering via triple j's Good Nights this week, Slowly Slowly are officially releasing a taste of what's come on the new record with new single 'The Level' out today. On the track, frontman Ben Stewart shares:
"This song is about fighting your instincts, a head vs heart battle. It's about not wanting to be swept up in whimsical emotion, stay grounded and be pragmatic about the situation - all while butterflies swim around in your stomach. Look out for the two hidden Springsteen lyric references in here!"
Check out its outstanding, 70s-soaked music video here: https://youtu.be/w4RQrUGnO2M
The second chapter of Race Car Blues was first seeded with the release of 'Low' in late 2019, a slightly off-kilter track for Slowly Slowly at the time, now finding itself sitting snuggly among the 'Chapter 2' track listing. Stewart explains that while the tracks on 'Chapter 2' didn't land on the original 'Race Car Blues', overtime the collection took on a life of its own and called for its own record.
"What we first envisaged as background information that assisted in connecting the dots of Chapter 1 soon became its own entity and has actually planted a few seeds," he shares.
"In retrospect, some of those pieces that didn't quite feel like they fit on the original album have served as great stepping stones to where Slowly is headed. 'Chapter 2' pushes the envelope a little further in every direction - heavier, more pop sensibility and a deeper dive into intimate solo songs.
"This is and has always been the ultimate aim for Slowly Slowly, to celebrate the music we love - anthemic heart on sleeve songwriting - but across a broad spectrum of genres. Having no creative ceiling for this project only pushed that ethos further."
The announce of 'Race Car Blues - Chapter 2' comes after the release of its captivating first single 'Comets & Zombies' last month. Stepping into the New Year Stewart played a string of sold out Slowly Slowly solo nights along the east coast, meanwhile the band are due to play Live At The Bowl alongside Ocean Alley, Maddy Jane & The Grogans in March, their rescheduled headline Race Car Blues national release tour in June, as well as slots at Full Tilt Festival in Melbourne & Brisbane. 'Race Car Blues - Chapter 2' is out everywhere Friday February 26 via UNFD.
