News

Public Service Broadcasting share new music from ‘The Race For Space’ LP‏

November 19, 2014

Share video for ‘Gagarin’ – first single from upcoming second album
The Race For Space LP due Feb 23rd
Touring UK in 2015 + confirmed for SXSW festival

“Trust me, this is the best thing you’ll watch all day” NPR

Public Service Broadcasting today unveil the video for the first single from their upcoming second album, The Race For Space. A brassy, funk-heavy superhero theme song for the most famous man in the world at the time, ‘Gagarin’ reveals a new side to the band – not least their considerable dancing skills.

Once again given access to newly acquired BFI footage, this time of the Soviet space race, PSB’s J. Willgoose, Esq. explained the rationale behind the song: “We didn’t want to be too literal in our interpretation of the material we were given – material that was full of heroic language and a sense of exuberance, with lines like ‘the hero who blazed the trail to the stars’, and ‘the whole world knew him and loved him’. It seemed more appropriate to try and re-create some of that triumphant air with a similarly upbeat song – and when it came to creating the video, the best way we could think of to communicate that sense of joy was to get our dancing shoes on.”

Watch the video for ‘Gagarin’ via NPR here.

With both a 6-piece brass section and 5-piece string section in tow, ‘Gagarin’ also signals a broadening of Public Service Broadcasting’s sound, making it a somewhat surprising return for this apparently reserved British duo. “We wanted to surprise people, and show that there is a depth and breadth to our musical interests and influences that goes far beyond our first album”, Willgoose continues, referencing the group’s Top 30 debut LP Inform – Educate – Entertain, released in May 2013.

‘Gagarin’ is the first single from the new album, and will be available on 1 December as a free download for anyone who pre-orders a copy of The Race For Space, out 23 February 2015. The new album is also available to pre-order as a limited edition clear plastic vinyl, more information can be found here.

The band will play two launch shows at the National Space Centre, Leicester, in the week of release – both of which sold out in under 24 hours – before heading around the world on an extensive international tour including dates at Austin’s SXSW Festival.

The video for ‘Gagarin’ is directed by Alex Kemp, produced by Tony Powell and was shot in PSB’s south London homeland.

UK & Ireland dates
26th Feb – National Space Centre, Leicester SOLD OUT
27th Feb – National Space Centre, Leicester SOLD OUT
22nd April – Corn Exchange, Brighton
23rd April – O2 Academy, Bristol
24th April – Pyramids, Portsmouth
25th April – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
28th April – The Foundry, Sheffield
29th April – Ritz, Manchester
30th April – Riverside, Newcastle
1st May – The Ironworks, Inverness
2nd May – O2 ABC, Glasgow
3rd May – Mandela Hall, Belfast
5th May – Button Factory, Dublin
6th May – The Institute, Birmingham
7th May – Roundhouse, London
Tickets on sale here.