Out May 20, 2022 on Rough Trade Records
Listen to a new track “last july”
Bridie Monds-Watson, aka SOAK has announced their third album If I Never Know You Like This Again today. It will be released by Rough Trade Records on May 20th, 2022. Listen to a new track “last july” and watch the accompanying video shot by Ellius Grace, which stars Bridie and their partner. If I Never… is the follow up to 2019’s Grim Town and SOAK’s Mercury-nominated 2015 debut album Before We Forgot How to Dream.
SOAK’s Bridie Monds-Watson (they/them) has incessantly documented their life in photos and video from a young age. “I hate the idea of getting older and forgetting, or having a family and not being able to perfectly explain a memory or a feeling. I always want to remember exactly how I felt at a certain moment,” they explain. It makes perfect sense then that If I Never Know You Like This Again is made up of what Bridie calls “song-memories”. Having written much of the new album during the pandemic, when time felt at its slowest, Bridie’s obsessive need to document each chapter of their life made a marvel of the mundane.
Alongside long-time collaborator Tommy McLaughlin (he/him), the two wrote most of the album together while listening obsessively to indie bands like Broken Social Scene and Pavement and Radiohead’s classic album The Bends. They honed in on this new riff-led, mid-90s sound, “nerding out on guitars and pedals like moronic bros” before recording it with the rest of the band in Attica Studios in Donegal. Previous SOAK albums had either been recorded remotely or by just two people, but If I Never… sees all the members of SOAK in the studio simultaneously. After being away from each other for the majority of the pandemic, it was important to create the record as a band, and the joyful energy of having everyone in the same room again is palpable.
On If I Never…, SOAK’s brilliant melodies are on full display. Lead single ‘last july’ features a masterfully off-kilter vocal set against swooning guitars, creating a lush pop song that wouldn’t be out of place in the end credits of a 90s coming-of-age film. Lyrically, Bridie manages to be both playful and self-aware. The idea of identity is central to the record, and Bridie’s lyrics are as deeply personal as they are universal. “This record is the most accurate picture of me. I felt no pressure at all, it was almost like I was ranting as I was writing,” they explain.“When I was looking to the past, it was as though I had a big lottery ball of all my recent memories and I would just randomly select which one I wanted to unpack. It helped me to process my past.” Tapping into their specific experiences, the result is a record that is deeply relatable and sparkling, as it traverses the ups and downs of their journey to become a fully realized person.
Tour Dates:Jan 27th – Heartbreakers, SouthamptonJan 28th – The Boileroom, GuildfordJan 29th – Record junkie, SheffieldJan 31st – Oporto, LeedsFeb 1st – The Fulford Arms, YorkFeb 2nd – Traders Club, Hebden BridgeFeb 3rd – The Glad Café, GlasgowFeb 5th -Oh Yeah Centre, BelfastFeb 6th – Bennigans Bar, DerryMay 25th – Dolan’s, LimerickMay 26th – Whelan’s, DublinMay 28th – YES, ManchesterMay 29th – The Caves, EdinburghMay 31st – Village Underground, LondonJune 1st – Patterns, BrightonJune 2nd – Thekla, Bristol
If I Never Know You Like This Again
Tracklisting:
1.purgatory2. last july3. bleach4.get well soon5. red-eye6. guts7. baby, you’re full of shit8. pretzel9. neptune10. swear jar
FOLLOW SOAK
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
