Photo Credit Brian Sweeney
International lockdown collaboration project Gates of Light release stand alone single Black Summer on the iconic Shimmy-Disc label on 2nd September 2022
A psychedelic garage inspired psychodrama of a track, Black Summer sets the scene for a long hot summer of blackouts and blame. Inspired by The Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black, the new single is a nod to female fronted psychedelic acts like Shocking Blue and Jefferson Airplane. It bridges the collective’s vinyl release of their self-titled album earlier this year with Gates Of Light II which is currently in progress supported by Creative Scotland. Finlay MacDonald (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits, wor_kspace) joins the collective and is working on the production of the new album.
The single will be launched with a new video by award winning film director Grant McPhee (Big Gold Dream, Teenage Superstars, Far From The Apple Tree). Shot from inside Stereo in Glasgow, it follows singles Belleville Sun and Next To Me as the third in a series of music videos for Gates of Light shot on 16mm.
Speaking on the forthcoming single and video, Gates of Light vocalist and songwriter Louise Quinn said: “It was great working with Grant again and living out all my sixties chanteuse fantasies! I think Grant’s really captured the drama and theatricality of the song perfectly. We were inspired by clips from Sandy Shaw, Marianne Faithful and Dusty Springfield; so hopefully I’ve managed to channel a wee bit of their magic with my performance and Grant has caught it on 16mm with his vintage 1967 Eclair camera.”
During lockdown 2020 Glasgow Louise and producer Bal Cooke worked remotely from Glasgow with London-based DJ and producer Scott Fraser; Parisian musician, DJ and producer Kid Loco; and film director and photographer, New York’s Tim Saccenti – who previously worked with Run The Jewels and Pharell – to create a sublime, electro-pop reflection on the grief, insularity and peculiar highs of lockdown. Immediately after hearing it, revered post-punk artist and producer Kramer offered to release it on vinyl on his Shimmy-Disc label, which boasts an impressive back catalogue of artists including Daniel Johnson, Low and Galaxie 500.
Praise for Gates Of Light:
‘It’s a lovely album’ MARK RADCLIFFE BBC6 MUSIC
‘Imagine Saint Etienne took opiates and were more devotedly electronic, but also with a downtempo Velvet Underground flavour…’ THE ARTS DESK ★★★★
‘elegant electro pop topped with Quinn’s torch song vocals.’ THE SCOTSMAN
‘Check out the album – it’s superb.’ VIC GALLOWAY, BBC RADIO SCOTLAND
‘…a glorious collection of dreamy electronic pop.’ JIM GELLATLY, SCOTTISH SUN
Connect with Gates of Light: