Premiere: Canberra band ARCHIE are on a roll with new single, Running To

Header image by Claire Warren.

Earlier this year, we were introduced to Canberra-based outfit ARCHIE, who at the time, were making themselves known as a newcomer in wind-swept indie-pop thanks to a brilliant new single, Blink. It was an upbeat, light-hearted affair that felt comparable to the early days of San Cisco and The Jungle Giants, really capturing the summer-y, festival-ready mania that way back then - just before the coronavirus crisis really started to kick in down here in Australia - felt like a sign of good things to come, and a burst of positive energy that would take us through the last of the hot months.

Although we couldn't be anymore wrong about what ended up happening, ARCHIE didn't let it get to them. They've been quiet since the release of Blink, instead focusing on refining their work and experimenting a little where they can - as well as just, y'know, trying to live like the rest of us are at the moment - and their new single, the today-premiering Running To, is reflective of that. 

Running To is a bit of a change of pace for the band when held comparatively against their old work. It's a little more subtle and down-tempo, going for a more slow-burning approach to their indie sound that really feels like a moment of reflection for the group, doubled down in emotional songwriting and this really heartfelt energy that makes itself known throughout the track's four-minute duration. At points - particularly where the song leads off for a sax-assisted instrumental jam - it really carries this Bon Iver-esque quality, which really shows how the group have changed things up and grown over the time between releases.

"Running To is about meeting someone in the right place at the wrong time and choosing to pursue your connection with them regardless of the predicted outcome," the group say on the single. "Writing this song helped me heal and I hope, now that it’s released, it may help others do the same."

It's a really powerful track full of cathartic energy, and one that proves that the Canberra band are going to be a difficult one to place in a box. It's out on Sunday August 23rd, but you can catch it and all its saxophone glory as it premieres on Pilerats a little early below:

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