Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun present their first album in nearly a decade

With their first album in nearly a decade arriving later this month – JIM LOCKEY & THE SOLEMN SUN – are pleased to share one of its most addictive highlights: “Mercy Wave”.

A bright and breezy indie rock track with a carefree, c’est la vie attitude; “Mercy Wave” sees Lockey and co. serving up a rejuvenating alternative anthem for the summer season.

A song about self-love and the freedom to be found from starting afresh, frontman Jim Lockey explains:

“”Mercy Wave” is about gaining that understanding that you can’t control everything that happens in your life. Sometimes the mercy you show yourself in challenging situations provides protection for a time, but this also needs to be overcome to learn how to be better. As I’ve learned over the past 2 years it’s freeing to start again, to learn from the past but not hold the weight of it with you.”

“Mercy Wave” is the latest track to be lifted from Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun’s upcoming album ‘Colour’ (out 28 July, via Xtra Mile Recordings), the Cheltenham four-piece’s first record in nearly a decade. The record also features the recent singles “Medicine” and “Reno”.

Marking a return to their old label Xtra Mile Recordings (who released their 2012 album ‘Death’), the new record finds a band tackling dense lyrical themes while shifting their sound into cathartic new stratospheres. Focused on prominent occurrences in Jim’s life in the years that have passed since their last record, ‘Colour’ deals with the premature end of a marriage, rediscovering himself as an individual and finding ways through life when it feels like a labyrinth. Balancing open-hearted songwriting with arrangements from the Solemn Sun that veer from the ambitious to the abrasive, it’s an album that features enormous anthems like “You & I”, rampant indie rock-tinted cuts like “Mercy Wave” to grittier, more melodic moments like “Always” or “Shame”. A record that takes in a diverse palette of sounds to reflect every shade of life’s rich tapestry, there was only ever one title the band had in mind for their 2023 comeback album… As Jim says:

“The title ‘Colour’ suited these songs and my experiences perfectly. For me colour is what defines a life: it controls our moods, changes our perceptions and decides how we experience the world. We’re constantly searching for colour in our lives, and immediately feel its absence.”

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Forming as a folk-punk band in 2009, Cheltenham four-piece Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun originally signed to Xtra Mile Recordings in 2011, before releasing their acclaimed album ‘Death’ a year later.

Completing two UK headline tours, playing sets at festivals around the world including SXSW and supporting the likes of Mumford & Sons, Johnny Flynn and Peter Doherty, the band rounded out that whirlwind year with an unforgettable set opening for friend and fan Frank Turner.

Gaining widespread praise from the likes of Radio 1, John Kennedy at XFM, BBC 6 Music, Kerrang Radio and more, the band also gained a ‘Next Hype’ accolade from Zane Lowe and played a live session at Maida Vale. ‘Death’ also landed two Top 10 chart positions in the iTunes singer-songwriter chart (#7) and the Record Store Chart (#5), and the band were tipped as one of NME’s bands to watch for the year.

Back with a vengeance with new album ‘Colour’ out later this month, Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun have just played a triumphant comeback show at 2000 Trees festival. Catch the band next at the Xtra Mile Recordings 30th Anniversary fixture as follows:

JIM LOCKEY AND THE SOLEMN SUN – LIVE DATES 2023
30 July – Guild Hall, Gloucester (Xtra Mile Recordings 30th Anniversary Show) – Tickets

-Official bio