NEW MUSIC: The Studio 68! NEW SINGLE ‘THE WAY IT IS’

The Studio 68! NEW SINGLE ‘THE WAY IT IS’

“The band that laid the foundation stone for Britpop” – Pat Gilbert, MOJO

Alert Charlie Croker and tell ‘Camp’ Freddie the news…

Following their sell-out ’68 Comeback Special show at the 100 Club last October and a packed-out ‘Happening’ for Shindig! at the Night Owl in August comes a brand-new waxing from London’s grooviest band. ‘The Way It Is’ c/w ‘Let’s Get Wasted’ will be released on Detour Records on November 1st (on ultra-limited red vinyl).

Recorded in London with legendary producer Brian O’Shaughnessy (Primal Scream, Kevin Rowland), ‘The Way It Is’ is the kind of song which forces you to drop everything and immerse yourself in its sonic world. A state-of-the-nation address in the same (lyrical) vein as The Kinks’ ‘Dead End Street’ or The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’, it holds up a (black) mirror to Britain in 2024 — reflecting the mood of a nation undergoing an existential crisis. The choices on offer? Either opt out completely (“paint it black”) or play by the rules and take the rewards. Because hey, that’s the way it is.

Musically, of course, the ’68! will always leave us on a high, and they’re on exceptional form here, Simon Castell’s cymbal swells and Patrick O’Sullivan’s tripwire-taut bass adding drama and tension as the interplay between Dani Turner’s extraordinary vocal and Thrill Heaven’s Hammond sends ‘The Way It Is’ stratospheric in just under four spellbinding minutes. The flip side’s not bad either, a sax-heavy, Stooges-style groove which reminds you why the ’68! have got the global Mod grapevine buzzing in a way it hasn’t done for years.

The Studio 68! play Shiiine On in Minehead (alongside Kula Shaker & Echo & The Bunnymen) on Saturday November 16th. They are also supporting The Buzzcocks at the 100 Club on November 29th and 30th.

THE WAY IT IS can be purchased via Detour Records on limited black vinyl and limited red vinyl

The Studio 68! can be contacted directly via Instagram @studio68mod