Maruja have released their fiery new single ‘Trenches’ ahead of their upcoming debut album ‘Pain To Power’ – listen below.
The Manchester jazz-punk band and NME Cover stars will release the album on September 12 via Music For Nations, which you can pre-order/pre-save here.
They have already shared the singles ‘Saoirse’, ‘Look Down On Us’ and ‘Break The Tension’, and now the final advance taste of the album is here in the form of ‘Trenches’, which they have described as “a relentless, high octane banger”.
The track is based around Joseph Carroll’s skronking sax lines and combative language and delivery from vocalist Harry Wilkinson, and quotes the revolutionary activist Fred Hampton’s line: “There will be no revolution ‘til the people believe that they are revolutionary”.
Maruja have said ‘Trenches’ captures the anger of “a generation unheard and their desire for change”.
Citing influences including Griselda, Mobb Deep and Rage Against The Machine, they also said the lyrics are designed to be “a reminder to the listener that they are not what this culture teaches, they are in fact powerful beyond measure and when they believe in themselves, can make a difference.”
“The song is a call for revolution in the face of the oppressive,” they added.
Speaking to NME for The Cover, Wilkinson explained that such issues have always weighed on him. “It stems from that philosophy in all of us,” he said. “I never used to be able to sleep at night, so for many years growing up, I’d put on these spiritual teachers like Wayne Dyer, Alan Watts and Terence McKenna.
“I’ve always based my words on social topics, philosophy or things that I define as being important cultural pillars. It’s often with the intent of us trying to reach for the betterment of culture, and that’s often through concepts and beliefs of love and solidarity.”
Read Maruja’s full Cover story here and find out who else has been on The Cover here. Maruja also created an exclusive playlist of ‘Ruthless Rave Bangers’ to accompany the story, which you can peruse here.
The band will also be touring the US, UK and Europe before the end of the year – see the full list of dates here and find tickets here.