Photo by Bridie Cummings
Following the recent release of the Lose Your Self b-side in "Higher Ground" earlier this month, Enter Shikari continues their productive pace with the surprise drop of another emotional single, "Lightyears". The track lands as the band ramp up for what will be a busy final year before taking an indefinite hiatus at the end of next year.
Speaking to the themes of the single and the personal weight expressed on the track, band architect Rou Reynolds provided some context that prompted the latest offering.
“Last year I took it upon myself to digitalise all our old family camcorder footage. It was a surreal experience. Seeing the old family holidays, Christmases, school concerts, and birthdays; it was a cocktail of emotions. But what struck me most was the bizarre nature of watching back periods of my life that now seem so detached from reality now.
Looking back on former versions of myself that no longer exist, people that have passed, places that have been knocked down – it was a form of nostalgia that veered on painful at times (or almost like ’vertigo’, as I say in verse two). Lightyears is not only me speaking to loved ones who are no longer with us, it’s also me speaking to my former self. Seeing the innocence and fragility of who you were as a child is often something recommended in psychotherapy in order to recalibrate how you treat yourself now. It can quieten what can often be a relentlessly critical and mean inner voice. This felt like a literal and stark version of that.”
The reveal of "Lightyears" comes as the band have also confirmed a run of intimate North American shows in early 2027. Bookeneding the band's run on the Emo's Not Dead cruise in January, the band will make stops in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee with a handful of headlining dates. Tickets are set to go on sale for the underplays on October 30th at 10am local time. See dates and cities below.
"Lightyears," the new single from Enter Shikari is now available - HERE
