Shoegaze Legends Ride Find New Light in the Everyday Haze With “Peace Sign”

Oxford locals (and shoegaze legends) Ride have always encapsulated the artistry of being joyfully unburdened, and their new single “Peace Sign” ensures you free yourself from all concerns.

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Stream: “Peace Sign” – Ride

Long work days and endless responsibilities can become overbearing in the day-to-day cycle we all experience.

But we still have our independent freedoms and simple sources of hope that can help us forget all the ongoing chaos, even if it is only for a few minutes. The new single “Peace Sign” by Ride perfectly blends uplifting tones and heartfelt verses, creating a sense of liberation and freedom. It is a powerful reminder that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, even in the midst of life’s challenges.

Interplay - Ride — “Peace Sign” is the lead single off Ride’s upcoming seventh studio album ‘Interplay,’ out March 29, 2024 via Wichita Recordings / PIAS

“Give me a peace sign, throw your hands in the air. Give me a peace sign, let me know you’re there.” It’s not even a question; it is a demand. They wish to witness you, as a listener, jumping out of bed and symbolizing the hand gesture of carefreeness. “In the moment, now I feel, and finally, I’m real.” The chorus jogs your memory as though you are plummeting down the hills of the countryside in your first car, rolling down all the windows, releasing your hair to the wind, and knowing the only thing you are concerned about is when the sun sets.

Ride emerged from historic Oxford, England, back in 1988, where the four members formed the band while attending college for art and design. The group’s early years began by shelling out EPs left and right until releasing their first LP, Nowhere, which skyrocketed them into musical pioneers. Andy Bell and Mark Gardener, the vocalists and guitarists, bassist Steve Queralt, and Laurence “Loz” Colbert on drums, consistently exemplify their carefreeness through unique composition and iconic harmonies on their new track, singing, “Shine, shining, the thought in your mind as you’re racing away from the light. Tonight, the feeling inside is a tension that’s outside of time.” It proves it is pivotal to have a sense of autonomy in life under the impending doom we all have stored away in the deep subconscious of our minds, but the quartet still implores us to throw up a peace sign to make sure we are a-ok.

There have been recent discussions online about the rebirth or revival of shoegaze.

It’s a term derived from the UK in the ‘80s that was coined later in the next decade depicting the noise created by multiple instruments, mainly guitars, overlapping in exultant noise. Groups like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive were considered idols in the subgenre, arranging melodies that sounded otherworldly. It aided in culminating the boundaries of listening ears with ethereal sonic elements drifting along multiple surfaces toward self-recollection.

Ride weighed in on this period, making it obvious they knew exactly which direction shoegaze was heading. Their sound became influential and paved the way for many other musicians who dabbled in contemporary resonance. The multiple albums they released checked off all the boxes with gigantic volume, overlay, and plenty of reverb. It set in motion a movement that undoubtedly influenced various artists and formed a fan base with the itch to be consumed by the heavenly commotion.

On their upcoming album Interplay, set to drop March 29^th, Andy Bell, Mark Gardner, Laurence Colbert, and Steve Queralt stick to the vision – and seriously come through with “Peace Sign,” the album’s lead single. This is a band that ages gracefully without even making an effort. Their recent single flutters with echoes of a heavy bass drum beat that stands at the forefront with spacious synths coupling the reverb of the guitar perfectly to let you know, yes, we are still Ride, and we’d love you to join us in harmony.

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